South Kashmir waits for P-Day, fear holds the key

There is another reason for the lack of poll fervour here. Participation in the elections remains a treacherous act against the separatist cause, the anti-incumbency factor and the wretched conditions of the people notwithstanding.

The region is home to the fast emerging main opposition to the ruling National Conference, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s Peoples Democratic Party. PDP is convinced that they will make it in at least half of the 16 constituencies. The ruling party harbours similar hopes and, in fact, is confident of improving its tally.

But if public participation in the run-up to polling is any indication, there is little support for either though PDP rallies attracted far bigger crowds than those of the NC.

‘‘The crowds in the poll rallies here indicate nothing. You have to understand the fear. When candidates are blown up in landmines and party workers, especially from the NC, are killed, how can you even expect them to come out in large numbers,’’ NC candidate in Kulgam, Ghulam Nabi Dar, said. ‘‘We had a rally which was being addressed by Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah here a few days back. We had to shift the venue at the last minute to the higher secondary grounds which is outside the town. And then some senior army officer was on a visit the same day and the army had cordoned off the entire area. How will you expect a lot of people to come out and join in such circumstances?’’

Militancy is at its peak in South Kashmir and the poll campaign bore the brunt. In fact, the focus of the militant activities has shifted from the frontier Kupwara district to this area after the Army succesfully plugged most of the infiltration routes in the them to South Kashmir through the Pir Panjal ranges and they have turned the upper reaches here into their bastion.

In fact, the remote villages of Noorabad constituency are nicknamed Tora Bora because of the heavy concentration of foreign militants, and it is here where tourism minister and NC candidate Sakina Itoo was attacked four times during her campaign.

Unlike Budgam, Kupwara and Baramulla, there is hardly any place here where any poll fervour is visible. Outside the few townships across these two districts of Anantnag, even party buntings and posters are missing. Hardly any campaign vehicles with loudspeakers can be spotted on the roads.

However, if people do come out to vote on October 1, the contests would be interesting. All eyes are on Pahalgam constituency where the NC has pitted a new man, Mohammad Rafi Mir, against PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti. Mir enjoys substantial goodwill just like Mehbooba — who in a way has emerged as a symbol of anti-NC sentiment across South Kashmir.

The main constituency of Anantnag is witnessing a fierce battle between surrendered militant-turned-politician Liyaqat Khan and his NC rival, Mehboob Beigh. Although Beigh’s position is stronger than Khan, this constituency could spring a surprise with the ruling party wracked by internal dissensions.

Beigh holds the edge as of now for two reasons — he is the son of one of the tallest NC leaders from South Kashmir, Mirza Afzal Beigh, and is an educated man with a clean political slate. His main problem remains his habit of flirting with political parties — he has been shifting from one to another regularly in the past few years. That the party is split into two major camps here is another worrying factor for him. The biggest threat, however, comes from the outside support for Khan — he is being silently helped by both PDP and Congress.

The PDP has won Bijbehara constituency twice in recent years. In Kokernag, the Congress enjoys the upper hand despite the area being infested by militants. The ruling party is also weak in Home Shalibug, Noorabad, Rajpora, Pulwama, Devsar and Wachi.