Anantnag-Pulwama: PDP faces tough fight in bastion

When south Kashmirs Anatnag-Pulwama Lok Sabha constituency goes to polls on Thursday,the rest of the Valley,including the summer capital,will be put under an undeclared curfew. The J-K administration is reluctant to allow free movement of people in order to avoid any untoward incidents. The separatists also have called for an election boycott and a general strike.

On Thursday,voters in the four districts of south Kashmir Anatnag,Kulgam,Shopian and Pulwama will decide the fate of Peoples Democratic Party leader and former bureaucrat Peerzada Mohammad Hussain and senior National Conference leader Mehboob Beg. The two arch rivals are in a close contest and its not going to be a cakewalk for any political party,even though south Kashmir is considered a PDP bastion. The NCs chances of winning the seat will largely depend on the Congress voters,who have pledged support to the NCs candidate. It will be,however,a tough task for the NC to snatch the constituency from the PDP. The seat was won by Mehbooba Mufti in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. It fell vacant in January this year following her resignation after she was elected to the Assembly. Prior to Mehbooba,her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had won the seat.

The PDP has maintained its dominance over the region since the 2002 Assembly polls. In the recently concluded Assembly polls,out of the 16 Assembly seats in these four districts,the PDP won 12,the Congress won two,the NC and CPIM bagged one each.

This time,13 candidates are in the fray for Anantnag-Pulwama constituency. They include Bashir Ahmad Malik of the Awami National Conference,Mohammad Sidiq Khan of the BJP,Nisar Ahmad Khan of the BSP,Asif Jeelani of the All India Forward Bloc,Fayaz Ahmad Bhat of the SP,and three Independents.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made,the police said,for the smooth conduct of the polls. The movement of traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway will be affected due to the security-related restrictions. All necessary arrangements are in place for holding free and fair polls, DIG,south Kashmir,Rajesh Kumar,said.

During election campaign,NC leader from Tral Abdul Satar Ganai was shot dead by suspected militants on April 24 at Malhama. The killing was seen as part of the militant campaign to enforce election boycott in the state.