SRINAGAR: The concluding and decisive phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections on October 1 is set to be pivotal in shaping the prospects of Sajad Lone’s Peoples Conference and Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP).
A total of 40 Assembly constituencies are heading to the polls in this phase, with 16 from the Kashmir Valley, all concentrated in North Kashmir, and 24 in the Jammu region.
North Kashmir, encompassing the districts of Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipore, represents a microcosm of Kashmir’s political landscape. The area includes both separatist factions and mainstream political parties like the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Notably, both the Peoples Conference (PC) and the AIP trace their origins to and maintain their strongholds in, the Kupwara district.
Historically, North Kashmir was a bastion of the NC until the PDP’s emergence in 1999. In the 2002 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, the NC secured nine seats from this region. However, by 2008, the party’s tally declined to seven seats, while the PDP gained six. In the 2014 Assembly elections, the NC’s presence dwindled further to three seats, while the PDP secured seven.
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In 2002, Sofi Mohidin, an independent candidate and a close associate of Lone, secured the Handwara Assembly seat. At the time, Lone was aligned with the separatist Hurriyat Conference and not active in mainstream politics. Lone eventually distanced himself from the Hurriyat and, in 2014, entered mainstream electoral politics. He secured a win from Handwara, while his party member Bashir Ahmad Dar captured the Kupwara seat.
In 2008, Engineer Rashid, made an unexpected foray into politics, winning the Langate Assembly seat in Kupwara district.
In the recent parliamentary elections, Rashid defeated Lone in the Baramulla constituency. Lone is now contesting two Assembly seats—Handwara and Kupwara—investing significant effort to secure both.
Just a few months ago, the AIP was considered a minor party with influence limited to Rashid’s native Langate constituency. That perception changed following the parliamentary elections, where Rashid led in 15 of the 18 Assembly segments within the Baramulla parliamentary seat.
This time around, the AIP, still not officially registered as a political party, is supporting candidates in 35 seats across the Kashmir Valley, with 15 in North Kashmir.
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The New Indian’s Principal Correspondent, Emaad Makhdoomi, had a brief conversation with J&K People’s Conference President, Sajad Gani Lone, during his campaign in Kalaroos, Kupwara:
Q: What is the core message of your manifesto as you engage with the public?
A: There are two key aspects. First, addressing the aspirations tied to Article 370 and 35A, their removal, and the illegality of that decision. Second, focusing on development, which includes addressing people’s grievances.
Q: What is your view on Engineer Rashid?
A: I am focused on the well-being of my own people. New Delhi can continue with its experiments, but we are concerned with our own.
Q: If you win in North Kashmir, who will you align with?
A: We will decide that when the time comes. To be frank, right now, I am not aligned with anyone and maintain an equal distance from all parties. My preference would be toward secular forces, but I would also seek guarantees regarding the human rights violations of the past three decades, along with assurances on the issue of Article 370.