Published On:Saturday, 1 November 2014
Abdullah’s leave Ganderbal after 37 years
NC gives up its heartland
SRINAGAR: Unsure of his prospects in the family bastion of Ganderbal, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also the working president of the ruling National Conference finally quit Ganderbal and will now contest from two seats of Sonawar and Beerwah.
Omar’s exit from the family seat is being read as a huge sign of ‘nervousness’ from the ruling party who many believe is about to receive a drubbing in the upcoming Assembly elections.
The ruling National Conference seems on a sticky wicket this time in Ganderbal constituency where it will be for the first time in 37 years that none of the Abdullah family members will fight elections from the seat.
Omar Abdullah had won 2008 Assembly elections from Ganderbal constituency after losing 2002 elections from the same seat.
Sources said the party this time feared that he (Omar) may lose the election from the seat, which can prove to be a major embarrassment for him and the party and fielded him from other constituencies instead of Ganderbal.
What worries the NC that its disgruntled leaders will be contesting forth coming elections separately from this seat instead supporting the NC.
Sheikh Ghulam Ahmad Saloora, who had been the NC loyalist, has decided to contest the Assembly elections as an independent candidate from the constituency.
Saloora, who had parted ways with NC, says he will file his nomination papers on Monday to contest from the Ganderbal constituency.
“NC will face a humiliating defeat in the coming elections. The party workers intended me to contest the elections as the NC has always neglected the Ganderbal,” Saloora told The Kashmir Monitor.
He said he got offer from various political parties to contest on their party ticket, but “I declined the offer”.
He said the NC also tried to convince him to join the party back as hehad helped the Omar Abdullah in wooing voters during 2008 elections.
“But I completely turned down the offer and I will contest independently,” Saloora said.
The Congress has given the mandate to Mohammad Yusuf Bhat from Ganderbal. Bhat had been the ardent NC worker before he parted ways with the party after Haji Mohammad Yusuf incident.
These two are believed would cut a major vote share of the ruling NC in Ganderbal, which was once considered a bastion for the ruling party.
Another party leader, Sheikh Ashfaq Jabbar, supporters had resisted in the month of September of giving mandate to Omar Abdullah.
Sources said the supporters were exerting pressure on the party leadership to give mandate to Jabbar.
Sources said they had threatened that they will run anti-NC campaign if Omar Abdullah was fielded from the constituency instead of Jabbar.
Sources said few of the Omar supporters from Ganderbal have differences with Jabbar, who may refrain casting their vote in favour of the latter.
The anti-incumbency factor is also believed has become a cause of concern for the ruling party.
The PDP has given the mandate to Qazi Mohammad Afzal, who defeat Omar Abdullah in 2002 Assembly elections.
In the recently held parliamentary elections, PDP had taken a lead of 2913 votes in the constituency. The opposition party got 13220 votes while NC bagged 10307 votes.
Ganderbal was a stronghold of NC and bastion of Abdullah dynasty. It was known as “king’s constituency” as NC’s chief ministerial candidate used to contest and get elected to State Assembly from this seat. The Ganderbal seat was represented by ruling NC patriarch and former Chief Minister late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1977. It has also been represented by Farooq Abdullah, the three-time chief minister of the State in 1983, 1987 and 1996. Omar had lost 2002 Assembly elections from the constituency to a PDP’s Qazi Mohammad Afzal by 2870 votes.
SRINAGAR: Unsure of his prospects in the family bastion of Ganderbal, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also the working president of the ruling National Conference finally quit Ganderbal and will now contest from two seats of Sonawar and Beerwah.
Omar’s exit from the family seat is being read as a huge sign of ‘nervousness’ from the ruling party who many believe is about to receive a drubbing in the upcoming Assembly elections.
The ruling National Conference seems on a sticky wicket this time in Ganderbal constituency where it will be for the first time in 37 years that none of the Abdullah family members will fight elections from the seat.
Omar Abdullah had won 2008 Assembly elections from Ganderbal constituency after losing 2002 elections from the same seat.
Sources said the party this time feared that he (Omar) may lose the election from the seat, which can prove to be a major embarrassment for him and the party and fielded him from other constituencies instead of Ganderbal.
What worries the NC that its disgruntled leaders will be contesting forth coming elections separately from this seat instead supporting the NC.
Sheikh Ghulam Ahmad Saloora, who had been the NC loyalist, has decided to contest the Assembly elections as an independent candidate from the constituency.
Saloora, who had parted ways with NC, says he will file his nomination papers on Monday to contest from the Ganderbal constituency.
“NC will face a humiliating defeat in the coming elections. The party workers intended me to contest the elections as the NC has always neglected the Ganderbal,” Saloora told The Kashmir Monitor.
He said he got offer from various political parties to contest on their party ticket, but “I declined the offer”.
He said the NC also tried to convince him to join the party back as hehad helped the Omar Abdullah in wooing voters during 2008 elections.
“But I completely turned down the offer and I will contest independently,” Saloora said.
The Congress has given the mandate to Mohammad Yusuf Bhat from Ganderbal. Bhat had been the ardent NC worker before he parted ways with the party after Haji Mohammad Yusuf incident.
These two are believed would cut a major vote share of the ruling NC in Ganderbal, which was once considered a bastion for the ruling party.
Another party leader, Sheikh Ashfaq Jabbar, supporters had resisted in the month of September of giving mandate to Omar Abdullah.
Sources said the supporters were exerting pressure on the party leadership to give mandate to Jabbar.
Sources said they had threatened that they will run anti-NC campaign if Omar Abdullah was fielded from the constituency instead of Jabbar.
Sources said few of the Omar supporters from Ganderbal have differences with Jabbar, who may refrain casting their vote in favour of the latter.
The anti-incumbency factor is also believed has become a cause of concern for the ruling party.
The PDP has given the mandate to Qazi Mohammad Afzal, who defeat Omar Abdullah in 2002 Assembly elections.
In the recently held parliamentary elections, PDP had taken a lead of 2913 votes in the constituency. The opposition party got 13220 votes while NC bagged 10307 votes.
Ganderbal was a stronghold of NC and bastion of Abdullah dynasty. It was known as “king’s constituency” as NC’s chief ministerial candidate used to contest and get elected to State Assembly from this seat. The Ganderbal seat was represented by ruling NC patriarch and former Chief Minister late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1977. It has also been represented by Farooq Abdullah, the three-time chief minister of the State in 1983, 1987 and 1996. Omar had lost 2002 Assembly elections from the constituency to a PDP’s Qazi Mohammad Afzal by 2870 votes.
