LS polls: NC fields Mian Altaf from Anantnag-Rajouri seat

Srinagar, Apr 1: National Conference (NC) on Monday announced former minister and senior leader Mian Ahmad as party candidate for the Lok Sabha elections from Anantnag-Rajouri constituency.
The announcement was made by party vice-president Omar Abdullah.
He said that there will be no better candidate than Mian Altaf from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, as he has never sought votes on religious or other lines.
Omar Abdullah said that Mian Altaf’s has vast popularity across various segments of the society and that he would garner substantial support from the people.
Party general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, state secretary Chowdhary Ramzan, provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani, and chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq were also present on the occasion.
Pertinently, NC has become the first party to have announced the candidate from South Kashmir constituency seat. The Ananatnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency remained the serious issue between the two allies of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD).
With the announcement by NC today, the pact between the parties within the conglomerate has finally come to an end.
The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) was formed in August 2019 when the government abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. However, with the passage of time, some of the allies started parting ways and later opposed the alliance.
Today, the major parties have parted ways and thus put an end to the conglomerate, which was formed to fight against the abrogation of Article 370.
Since NC has nominated Mian Altaf Ahmed Larvi as its candidate for Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency, the twin districts of Pir Panjal are seeing it as a move to get hold of the Gujjar votes.
He being a Cult figure among Gujjars has a wide following within his community but whether he will be able to convert this into votes will depend on his campaigning.
NC announced Altafi’s candidature today after having long discussion on selecting a suitable candidate for this seat, which has got a different look after delimitation of parliamentary constituencies. Previously former jurist Hasnain Masoodi of NC was representing the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat.
A political analyst from Rajouri district from Gujjar community, wishing anonymity, told KNO that there are around six lakh Gujjar votes in Anantnag parliamentary seat which is spread in twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch, and in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. “Mian Altaf Ahmed Larvi is known to one and all but that doesn’t mean he will be able to get all the votes of the community. Around 20 percent voters of the community are his followers which will vote in his favour whereas he may be able to fetch 25 to 30 percent more votes due to his cult figure and party influence,” he said.
“He has some disadvantages as well which will get reflected during this election and those can go against the NC,” the political analyst said, adding, “Mian Altaf Ahmed is not from Rajouri and Poonch district and not even from south Kashmir. Hailing from Kangan area of Ganderbal district of central Kashmir, he can be seen as outsider by the voters which can go against him as well.”
The total votes of Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat is 1925450 out of which around 11 lakh votes are from south Kashmir whereas Rajouri and Poonch districts have over 8 lakh votes.
Moreover, he said, when Mian Altaf was minister in Omar Abdullah led NC-Congress government in Jammu and Kashmir from 2009 to 2014, ST youth from Rajouri and Poonch district were getting reservation in jobs in Kashmir valley in district cadre and division cadre posts but the NC government ended this reservation and only kept it for Scheduled Tribe candidates. “Mian Altaf Ahmed also played a role in this and due to which educated ST youth of these two districts were up in arms against this decision and even held protests against Altaf,” he reminded.
But the political analyst was of the opinion that Altaf might be able to get around 50 percent votes of ST community.
There is a huge chuck of Pahari votes in these two districts who are overjoyed after the government announced reservation for the community and Pahari leaders have assured the Bharatiya Janta Party of full support during the elections. If BJP is able to get majority of Pahari votes, then it will be a great loss to NC.