In Doda, it’s Omar vs Farooq

If insiders are to be believed, the rebels are there because of differences between the Abdullahs on whom to nominate and, worse, that if Omar is secretly backing an Independent in Doda, Farooq’s sympathies lie with the rebel NC candidate in Banihal.

The outgoing Chief Minister also stayed away from campaigning in either Doda or Banihal, preferring instead to fly off to daughter in South Africa, further fuelling speculations of a rift. This may cost the NC dear as Doda district has always stood by the NC despite its failure to even provide basic amenities to its people. Last time, the NC had won three of the six assembly seats here, the remaining bagged by an Independent, the BJP and the NC-backed BSP.

This time in Doda, NC candidate and Minister of State for Home Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy is facing a tough challenge from rebel Abdul Majid Wani. While in Banihal, party rebel Moulvi Abdul Rashid has eclipsed the chances of NC nominee Farooq Mir.

Insiders say that in Banihal, Farooq had wanted the nomination to go to Moulvi Abdul Rashid, an old associate of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and a former deputy speaker of the Assembly. Rashid had not only brought election material from party headquarters at Jammu, but also distributed sweets among the people. Then came the blow at the eleventh hour. Farooq Mir, who had won from Banihal as an Independent in 1996 and later joined the NC, was given party ticket by Omar.

Furious over the way he had been treated, Rashid publicly burnt the NC’s election material on a road and joined the poll fray as an Independent. Some even say Rashid was asked to contest as an Independent by none other than Farooq.

In Doda, the story is just the reverse. Here, Omar is stated to have given the go-ahead to a forest lesee to join the poll fray against the NC’s official nominee and Minister of State for Home Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy. Locals say Omar was interested in fielding Youth National Conference general secretary Abdul Karim Wani in Doda. However, Farooq prevailed upon him and got the ticket issued in favour of the party’s sitting legislator, Suharwardy.

While Karim Wani himself meekly accepted the party’s decision and continued to remain in the Youth National Conference, his elder brother Abdul Majid joined the fray as an Independent. Though Omar has criticised Majid Wani at his rallies in Doda, people say he enjoys the patronage of the NC president.