Two main Opposition parties in Jammu & Kashmir—National Conference (NC) and the Congress — on Wednesday announced to contest the by-poll for Anantnag and Srinagar Parliamentary constituencies jointly.
Announcing the seat-sharing arrangement, former Chief Minister and NC working president Omar Abdullah said that Farooq Abdullah would contest by-election from Srinagar lok Sabha segment while JKPCC chief Gulam Ahmad Mir would contest from Anantnag. The ruling PDP has already announced that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s brother Tasaduq Mufti’s would be fielded from Anantnag.
The notification for Srinagar by-poll was issued on March 14 where the voting would be held on April 9. The Anantnag segment would go to polls on April 12. Announcing the candidature of senior Abdullah and Mir, Omar Abdullah said the (security) situation was not worse in the Valley as compared to his on tenure that ended more than two years ago.
“The situation is not as bad as of 1990’s but it is much worse than it was when I handed over it to Mufti,” Omar said at a Press conference.
He said the Government was discouraging the Opposition to initiate poll campaign and alleged the security of the contestants and campaigners was being compromised. “A concerted effort is now being made on the part of the Government to discourage opposition from being able to move out and campaign,” he said.
“Our security is being downgraded, bullet proof vehicles of the party functionaries are being withdrawn and escort vehicles are being taken away,” he said.
Abdullah was flanked by Mir who also leveled the same allegations on the PDP-BJP coalition and asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure adequate security arrangements during the poll campaign.
The NC’s Core Group, a decision-making body comprising topmost leaders of the party, had on Tuesday entrusted the party president and Dr Farooq Abdullah to decide on the candidates and seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress.
Both the ruling PDP and the Opposition alliance fear drop in the vote percentage in the upcoming polls which are being held in the backdrop of massive public uprising of 2016.
Mir said one of the reasons of fielding joint candidates was to ensure good poll percentage. The Congress and NC were in coalition and ruled the state between 2009 and 2015. They maintained the alliance even after losing power to PDP-BJP combine.
“The alliance has been taken forward to fulfill the desire of the people and to ensure good poll percentage,” Mir said. He said the people would come out to cast their votes if the government ensures conducive atmosphere.
Omar Abdullah said the two parties did not field joint candidates because of the lack of faces but to ensure the anti-establishment votes were not divided.
He said the NC-Congress combine would fight then election on the agenda of youth and the problems faced by the younger generation.
“Our aim is to highlight the issues of the common people. We will highlight the issues of initiating political dialogue, peace talks, developmental issues and excessive force used against youth,” Abdullah said.
The Anantnag and Srinagar parliamentary constituencies were won by PDP in a clean sweep in Kashmir Valley in 2014. However, with resignation of Mehbooba Mufti who became the chief minister after the demise of her father, the seat fell vacant necessitating by-poll. The Srinagar constituency was represented by Tariq Hameed Karra, founder member of the PDP who quit the party at the height of public uprising in Kashmir in 2016 summer triggered by the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani. Karra held the PDP-BJP alliance responsible for the public uprising and tendered resignation from the party and the lok Sabha seat in protest against the killing of nearly a hundred civilians. He later joined the Congress in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, the ECI announced election for six legislative council seats on April 17.