Ali Asad
Srinagar, Apr 15: The political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir is ablaze with anticipation as three former Chief Ministers, one incumbent Union Minister, and a former Union Minister vie for victory in the coming Lok Sabha polls.
Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad are set to lock horns in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, while Omar Abdullah shifts his goal post to Baramulla. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh and former Union Minister Chaudhary Lal Singh will face off in Udhampur. Ghulam Nabi Azad, attempting his second foray into the Lok Sabha elections, hopes for success this time from the newly delineated Anantnag-Rajouri seat.
Mehbooba Mufti, once an MP from Anantnag, aims for redemption after her third-place finish in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections following the Pulwama attack. Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah shifts his electoral stronghold from Srinagar to Baramulla, having previously served as an MP thrice and as Minister of State in the Central Government.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, incumbent from Udhampur, seeks to maintain his ministerial tenure after nine consecutive years in the PMO. However, he faces stiff competition from Chaudhary Lal Singh of Congress and GM Saroori of Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), both possessing formidable political pedigrees.
The contest intensifies as NC replaces two of its MPs this election cycle, opting for fresh faces across all three Kashmir seats. Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s withdrawal due to health concerns and the cancellation of tickets for Hasnain Masoodi and Mohammad Akbar Lone indicate a strategic shift in the party’s approach post-delimitation. This is being deemed by the political pundits as a calculated bid for victory in the altered electoral landscape.
