Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 11: All six Assembly constituencies going to polls in first phase on November 25 in erstwhile Doda district of Jammu region are facing quadrangular contests with all major political parties including ruling National Conference and Congress and main opposition parties-PDP and BJP going it alone. This is contrary to Lok Sabha elections when NC-Congress were in direct fight with BJP and PDP in April-May polls. In some of the seats, the BSP, NPP and Samajwadi Party are also expected to cut sizeable number of votes.
Meanwhile, 13 more candidates today filed their nomination papers for nine Assembly constituencies of Udhampur, Reasi and Poonch districts for second phase of polling on December 2 taking total contestants to 28. November 14 is last date for filing nomination papers for second phase.
Significantly, all three districts of erstwhile Doda including Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban, which were going to polls in the first phase comprised two Assembly seats each.
Though there were 11 candidates in the fray, Doda Assembly seat, which has been retained by Congress for two consecutive terms in 2002 and 2008 polls, will witness four cornered fight among Works Minister Abdul Mujeed Wani (Cong), Shakti Raj Parihar (BJP), Khalid Najib Suhrawardhy (NC) and Shahab-ul-Haq (PDP).
Suhrawardhy had won the seat in 1998 by-poll after the death of his father and NC veteran leader Moulana Attaullah Suhrawardhy, who had been elected from the seat in 1996. Suhrawardhy was made Minister of State for Home in his Council of Ministry by then Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah. However, Mujeed Wani wrested the seat from NC as Independent candidate in 2002 and as Congress nominee in 2008.
Bhaderwah, the second seat of Doda district, is also facing four cornered contest among Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mohammad Sharief Niaz, Dileep Singh Parihar (BJP), Mehboob Iqbal, a retired bureaucrat (PDP) and Riaz Anayatullah Bhaderwahi (NC). Sheikh Mohammad Shaffi, whose father Sheikh Abdullah Rehman had won Bhaderwah seat in 1996 as BSP candidate, is also in fray as Samajwadi Party nominee.
In 2002, Niaz had won the seat and vacated it for his cousin Ghulam Nabi Azad after he became the Chief Minister in November 2005. Azad won the seat in 2006 by-poll and 2008 Assembly election but vacated it in February 2009 after being elected to Rajya Sabha. Niaz was elected in the by-poll from Bhaderwah in 2009. A total of 13 candidates are trying their luck in Bhaderwah.
Almost similar is the position in two Assembly constituencies of Kishtwar district.
In Kishtwar, NC candidate and Minister of State for Home is involved in electoral battle with Sunil Sharma (BJP), Firdous Tak (PDP) and Nek Ram (Congress). Kitchloo’s father, Bashir Ahmad Kitchloo had won the seat in 1996 but after his death in 2002, Sajjad won the seat in 2002 and 2008 polls. Ten candidates are in the race for Kishtwar seat.
Another quadrangular fight is on the cards in Inderwal constituency involving Ghulam Mohammad Saroori (Congress), Tariq Hussain Keen (BJP), Salam Din Choudhary (NC) and Abdul Majeed Bhat (PDP).
NC had won the seat in 1996 but Saroori wrested it in 2002 and retained it in 2008. He had gone on to become Works Minister but was sacked after a controversy surrounding his daughter in an examination scam. A total of 12 candidates are in the fray in Inderwal.
Ramban and Banihal segments in Ramban district are also involved in four cornered fight.
In Ramban (Reserve) seat, sitting MLA Ashok Kumar Bhagat (Congress) is facing Neelam Langeh (BJP), Dr Chaman Lal (NC) and Swami Raj Bhagat (PDP). BJP’s Bali Bhagat had won the seat in 1996 but lost to NC’s Chaman Lal in 2002 and Ashok Kumar of Congress in 2008. A total of eight candidates are in fray in Ramban district.
In Banihal, which had tradition of not repeating candidate since 1987, is also facing four cornered fight this time. Minister of State for Power Vikar Rasool Wani (Congress), Bashir Ahmad Runiyal (PDP), Sajjad Shaheen (NC), Showket Javeed Daing (BJP). Banihal seat was won by Independent Farooq Mir in 1996, Moulvi Abdul Rashid, again as Independent in 2002 and Vikar Rasool in 2008. Runiyal, an IAS officer has been fielded by the PDP after his retirement recently while Shaheen had contested last election also as NC nominee and Daing as Independent. A total of six candidates are in the fray in Banihal.
Presently, Congress holds five and NC one seat out of total six seats. NC holds Kishtwar while Congress represents remaining five in the outgoing Assembly. However, in April-May Lok Sabha polls this year, the BJP had put up an impressive show in four out of six segments including Bhaderwah, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban despite NC-Congress alliance and gained substantial number of votes.
Meanwhile, 13 candidates, who filed their nomination papers today for nine constituencies of Udhampur, Reasi and Poonch districts taking total number of contestants for second phase to 28.
In Udhampur constituency, four candidates filed their nomination papers. They included two times MLA from Udhampur Balwant Singh Mankotia (NPP), Ashok Gupta (Congress), Amit Modi (covering candidate for Congress) and Soma (Independent). Mankotia held a massive rally in Udhampur town before filing the nomination papers.
In Chenani Reserve seat of Udhampur district, NPP candidate Dhani Ram Atri filed the papers. No nomination papers have so far been filed for Ramnagar seat of Udhampur district.
In Reasi district, six contestants entered the fray today.
They included sitting BJP MLA from Reasi Baldev Raj Sharma, who joined the fray as Independent candidate after being denied mandate by the party, Saraf Singh, who jumped into the fray as PDP backed Independent after taking voluntary retirement from the services as KAS officer and Anil Kumar (Independent). Saraf Singh was taken out in an impressive rally in Reasi by his supporters to the office of the Returning Officer for filing papers.
NC candidate Shamshad Banu and Gulzar Ahmad Wani (Independent) filed their papers from Gool-Arnas seat and Bashir-ud-Din (NPP) from Gulabgarh constituency in Reasi district.
Mohammad Taj Khan (BJP) filed his papers in Surankote Assembly constituency and Mohammad Shafiq Khan (BSP) for Mendhar seat in Poonch district.
BJP candidate Mohammad Taj held a massive rally in Surankote, which among others was attended by BJP leader Vibodh Gupta and SS Bijral.
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