Omar shifts to Sonawar, Beerwah
SRINAGAR: Ending the long suspense, chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday bid farewell to Ganderbal, once the strongest bastions of the National Conference and instead decided to try his luck from Sonawar and Beerwah constituencies, falling in Srinagar and Badgam districts.
The decision to filed Omar from two constituencies was taken at a marathon meeting of the party’s parliamentary board which met here with Omar in the chair. The meeting was of the view that in view of the hostile political atmosphere, Omar should not only give his home constituency, Ganderbal, a miss but playing safe, he should also be fielded from two constituencies, Sonawar and Beerwah, that the party considered to be ‘safer’.
However, this decision of the NC shows how nervous was the party about the political future of its young leader who not only was forced to flee from Ganderbal but would be trying his luck from two constituencies.
In the last assembly elections, Omar’s father, Farooq Abdullah had managed to register a win by hundred odd votes against PDP’s nominee Ghulam Qadir Pardesi who later quit the party and joined NC and was rewarded with a seat in upper house for the deserton.
Beerwah is presently represented by PDP and what NC leadership has in mind the possible division of PDP voted with former party leader Sarfaraz Khan’s son, Nazir Khan who had joined Congress and in all probability contesting from Beerwah. NC’s efforts, observers feel would be to ensure that Khan not only snatches votes from PDP but also ‘transfer’ considerable number of votes to NC to ensure Omar’s success.
Meanwhile, the party also released the fourth list of 22 candidates. Earlier the party had announced a list of 62 candidates.
“The Parliamentary Board under the Chairmanship of the Working President Shri Omar Abdullah cleared a list of 22 candidates, 15 Candidates for Kashmir region and 7 Candidates for Jammu region”, a statement issued at the end of the meeting..
NC’s list of candidates
1. 28-Beerwah Omar Abdullah
2. 24-Sonwar Omar Abdullah
3. 15-Pattan Aga Syed Mehmood
4. 26-Chadoora Ali Mohammad Dar
5. 33-Pulwama Ghulam Nabi Ratanpuri
6. 18-Hazratbal Mohammad Sayeed Akhoon
7. 19- Zadibal Peer Afaq
8. 40-Anantnag Mehboob Beg
9. 36-Shopian Sheikh Rafi
10. 14-Gulmarg Mustafa Kamal
11. 17-Ganderbal Sheikh Ashfaq Jabbar
12. 8-Sopore Mohammad Ahraf Ganai
13. 1-Karnah Kafeel-ur-Rehman
14. 10-Bandipur Mohammad Abdullah Wani
15. 5-Langate Wali Mohammad
16. 83-Rajouri Mirza Abdul Rashid
17. 54-Bhaderwah Riyaz Bhaderwahi
18. 61-Chenani Shri Sansar Chand
19. 52-Inderwal Chaudhary Salaam Din
20. 71-Gandhi Nagar Surinder Singh Bunty
21. 80-Chhamb Shakti Bala
22. 59-Gool Arnas Shamshad Shan