NEW DELHI: The seat is likely to see a surge in support for Engineer Rashid’s party.
After the record 60% voting in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, the People’s Conference chief Sajad Gani Lone seems to be worried about retaining his constituency Handwara, which is adjacent to Sheikh Abdul Rashid’s (popularly known as Engineer Rashid) former Assembly constituency Langate.
According to political observers, the wave that helped Engineer Rashid win the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 elections, was driven by the local youths who have started questioning the minimal work done by the existing political parties. The youngsters played a major role in Rashid’s triumph over the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, at Baramulla.
According to a political analyst, “Sajad Lone has a huge support base in his own constituency Handwara but now the whole atmosphere has changed. There is a demographic change. There are new voters there in the last 10 years. Will they support him or will they vote for someone else is to be determined. But certainly, Rashid is capable of shaking up the situation in the constituency because the very adjacent seat has been won twice by Rashid and he has immense support on that side.”
Party insiders suggest that the National Conference leadership (Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah), whom Lone has been targeting since a long time, may have deployed more force to counter him in his constituency so that they can also contribute in Lone’s downfall.
Moreover, as Rashid’s release from jail on the cusp of the elections has raised several eyebrows, there is an understanding among political experts that he has replaced Lone, as he has lost his political utility for the BJP.
An expert said, “Lone cannot win more than two seats. He can win his seat only and that will also be difficult for him as people have started coming out to vote. If they vote against Lone, then it would be difficult.”
Given the anti-BJP sentiment in Kashmir, Lone is making every effort to position himself as an anti-BJP candidate. In a recent interview, Lone trained his guns on the state administration and the Centre, who he claimed are involved in disturbing the normal election process and are helping specific people to perform better in the Assembly elections. Some analysts view this as a political gimmick to attract anti-BJP votes, while others believe that his standing, perceived as a proxy for the BJP, has significantly diminished with the rise of Rashid.
A former editor of one of the top newspapers in Kashmir said, “Sajad Lone knows how to get his share in politics. He is a very self-centred person. He has been harbouring a dream in his heart that someday, he will become Chief Minister and for that, he has tried to deploy all his network. Moreover, he is looking up to the Centre (BJP) to do all the work for him. But now, his chances of becoming CM are over.”
Altaf Bukhari, the chief of Apni Party and another significant contender, too is perceived to be a proxy for the saffron camp and is expected to perform poorly. Political analysts suggest that he may have jeopardised his political future by publicly stating his support for the Centre.
A political analyst said, “Kashmir has more than 99% anti-BJP votes. Now people associated with the party will vote for it. The party’s cadre will vote for him. If his work would be of benefit to some people, they will vote for him. But if the people come out in droves in the Chanapora Assembly constituency (which comes under Srinagar district), then it may be difficult for him to win. But then the constituencies in Srinagar district do not see much voting.”