PDP leader Waheed-Ur-Rehman Parra’s night campaign sets new trend

Srinagar, May 23

As night fell, Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) youth leader, Waheed-Ur-Rehman Parra, along with party workers, used to step out to seek votes in the ongoing parliamentary elections campaign, which ended on Thursday.

Parra, who was jailed for over two years following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A on charges of abetting militancy, was the only leader among all political parties campaigning during the late evening hours in south Kashmir, an area once infested with militancy.

Enthusiastic party workers raised slogans and were carrying torchlight processions through the streets, lanes, and by-lanes of towns and villages. Parra first campaigned in the Srinagar-Pulwama parliamentary constituency, where he was the contesting candidate. He is now actively seeking votes for party president Mehbooba Mufti, who is contesting from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, the polling for which is slated on May 25.

Last night, he reached Manzgam, a remote village in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district where he addressed the highly charged gathering.

Earlier, he conducted a series of similar night road shows in Bijbehara, the hometown of Mufti, as well as in Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Budgam, Ganderbal, and Srinagar.

Parra also engages in door-to-door campaigning, distributing party manifestos and pamphlets, and explaining the importance of voting. “We don’t remember any candidate in the past 35 years campaigning at night. This is something unique,” says Abdul Ahmad, 70, from Bijbehara.

Even though the 2008 and 2014 Assembly elections saw a good turnout, people continued to remain indifferent to parliamentary elections. It is for the first time in the past 35 years, people are showing keen interest in the parliamentary elections.