Once militant stronghold, Shopian all set for multi-cornered contest

South Kashmir’s Shopian district, which was a stronghold of militants until recently, is all geared up for the Assembly elections, which are being held here after a decade.

Candidates who contested the 2014 Assembly elections from Shopian say they campaigned under the fear of guns and battled boycott calls by separatists. However this year, the situation is peaceful and leaders are carrying out political activities till late evening.

In the years that followed, Shopian became a stronghold of militancy and saw encounters and widespread violence.

“It’s around 10 years since we saw the last elections. So, people are more enthusiastic this time,” Yawar Banday, a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Shopian seat, told The Tribune. He said the situation in Shopian this year was peaceful as compared to the previous years.

2,09,039 voters to exercise franchise

• Shopian district is divided into two Assembly constituencies — Zainapora and Shopian — with a total of 2,09,039 registered voters. The district will go to the polls in the first phase on September 18.

Shopian district is divided into two Assembly constituencies - Zainapora and Shopian - with a total of 2,09,039 registered voters. The district will go to the polls in the first phase on September 18. In 2014, the PDP won two seats - Shopian and Wachi - in Shopian.

Those who contested the 2014 Assembly elections said they campaigned under tough situations. “There used to be security concerns. Most of the candidates used to finish the campaigning by 4 pm,” said Maroof Ahmad, who contested the 2014 elections on Congress ticket.

He said while he was returning home after filing nomination papers in 2014, stones were thrown at his cavalcade. Today, it is “more like a festival and candidates are doing public interaction till late evening.”

As Shopian district is abuzz with rallies ahead of the elections, candidates are making all-out efforts to woo voters.

Ahmad said: “This time, the main issue in the district, which is the Valley’s second-biggest apple-growing area, is the development of the horticulture industry”.

“In the recent years, people suffered several setbacks due to hailstorm. Crop insurance is the need of the hour. The industry needs to be upgraded and issues like quality of fertiliser need to be checked,” he said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Banday said if elected, he would streamline horticulture. “We will impose import duty on apples. We will set up a dry fruit mandi here,” he said, adding that the horticulture industry had been facing several issues for the past 7-8 years, which needed to be addressed.

In the Shopian Assembly segment, there appears to be a fight between three candidates - NC’s Sheikh Mohammad Rafi, PDP’s Yawar Banday and Independent candidate Shabir Kullay. Shabir, a former leader of the National Conference, was denied mandate and is now contesting as an Independent. Engineer Rashid’s party has also fielded a candidate from the constituency.

The Zainapora seat is also all set to witness a multi-cornered contest. Key candidates in the fray are PDP’s Ghulam Mohiuddin Wani, NC’s Showkat Hussain and former PDP leader Aijaz Mir, who is now contesting as an Independent as is backed by banned Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, which has fielded independent candidates for the first time after over 35 years.

Banday said tourism also needed to be promoted to the next level. “Homestays can be a good thing,” he said, adding that health, education and sports sectors were also major issues which needed to be looked after in the district.

Sheikh Mohammad Rafi, a senior National Conference leader who is contesting from Shopian, said: “People are coming forward in a huge number to participate in the electoral process. They are fed up with the present dispensation. They need their voices to be heard.”