Voters wary, not banking on any party

Majid Jahangir

In 2017, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart and MP Muzaffar Baig laid the foundation to develop Wagoora — an apple-rich belt in north Kashmir — as a model village under a centrally sponsored scheme.

Even after the passage of 19 months, it has not changed the fate of the village despite some traditional works being undertaken. Most of the roads in the village are in a dilapidated condition and the drainage is choked.

Wagoora village in the Sangrama Assembly constituency is one of the 15 constituencies of the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat that comprises three border districts of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora. 

Baig had polled 1,74,583 votes from the Baramulla seat in 2014 and it was for the first time that the PDP won this seat after its formation in 1999. His nearest rival National Conference’s Sharif-ud-din Shariq polled 1,45,738 votes.

However, it will be a herculean task for the PDP this time to retain the seat. As the bugle for the parliamentary poll is all set to be sounded, the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, according to pollsters, will form the nucleus of the democratic exercise. 

North Kashmir’s Baramulla seat will be an open battlefield where all political forces will try to emerge triumphant. The constituency is bracing for a close contest between the old and new guard. While political parties have started to gear up for the elections, the general impression on the ground is that the border districts of Kashmir have been ignored in all fields by politicians.

“Out of three districts, Baramulla and Kupwara have been declared by the Niti Aayog as Aspirational Districts and that sums up the total failure of politicians of the area over time,” said Shabir Ahmed, a resident of Baramulla. “Coupled with broken promises, the constituency has been a victim of power politics sans any development.”

Even as the mood is subdued in Baramulla and Bandipora districts, the election fervour has started to pick up in neighbouring Kupwara.

Former IAS officer Shah Faesal, who is likely to contest as an Independent candidate, has pepped up political activities in Kupwara, his home district. 

On the other side, People’s Conference (PC) led by Sajad Lone is trying to emerge as a third force to counter the National Conference (NC) and PDP. “Faesal is the new hope among the youth. His entry into politics will surely bring more thrill to the poll,” Mohammad Maqbool, a resident of Langate Handwara, said. “Kupwara has always seen an impressive voter turnout despite being totally ignored by all dispensations. We are now pinning hopes on leaders from the north to make a difference,” he added.

Sitting MP Baig, who is now the patron of the crisis-ridden PDP, has decided not to seek re-election. Instead, the party has chosen a trade union leader, Qayoom Wani, as its candidate. Wani (59), an entrant into politics, is popular among the teaching community. But it will not be easy for him to translate the support into votes.

The NC is likely to nominate veteran leader and former minister Akbar Lone as its candidate. Lone, who took on counter-insurgent Kuka Parrey, has won the past three Assembly elections from the Sonawari constituency in Bandipora. The PC has named former Inspector General of Police Raja Aijaz Ali as party candidate.

While the PDP and NC will again seek votes to safeguard the special status, the PC will also take an aggressive stand against the PDP and NC over its failures. The two national parties — the Congress and BJP — may not make any measurable difference.

Unlike south and central Kashmir, the poll boycott will have least impact in north Kashmir as some of the major traditional voting areas like frontier Kupwara district and the border town of Uri fall in this constituency.

Key players

| National Conference 

| PDP | People’s Conference 

| Congress | Shah Faesal

ASSEMBLY SEGMENTS

The 15 Assembly segments fall in three districts of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora. The border district of Kupwara has five segments, Baramulla has seven and Bandipora has three Assembly segments. 

Sitting MP Muzaffar Baig

He had polled 1,74,583 votes from the Baramulla seat in 2014 and it was for the first time that the PDP won this seat after its formation in 1999. His nearest rival National Conference’s Sharif-ud-din Shariq polled 1,45,738 votes. Baig has decided not to seek re-election.

Total voters
11,89,092

Male
6,22,632

Female
5,66,460