Er. Rasheed, Man of the Match in this election

Independent candidate Engineer Rashid has surprised everyone with his splendid performance in the parliamentary elections of 2019. He secured 102168 votes and rose to no. 3 position in Baramulla, trailing by just 1025 votes to Peoples Conference candidate Raja Ajaz Ali who got 103193 votes.

The total vote share Rashid obtained is 22.4 percent whilethe PC candidate’s vote share was 22.88 percent.

   

Rashid, who heads the Awami Itihad Party constituted in2013, participated first time in the assembly elections as an independentcandidate in 2008. Rashid has represented Langate assembly constituency severaltimes.

Though his party AIP has no strong presence in severalassembly segments of Baramulla district, he has received overwhelming responsein several areas of both Baramulla and Kupwara districts.

Rashid surprised with his performance in assembly segmentsof Uri, Gulmarg, Karnah, Langate and Baramulla where he left behind all themajor political parties like National Conference, Congress, Peoples Conferenceand Peoples Democratic Party. In Uri assembly segment which has beentraditionally a stronghold of National Conference and Congress and is also hometown of Peoples Conference candidate Raja Ajaz Ali, Rashid came out with flyingcolours and secured highest number of votes – 13652 – while NC, Congress, PCand PDP managed to get 10395, 9518, 8407, 488 respectively.

If the results are taken into account, Rashid is likely tothrow a major challenge to traditional political parties at least in northKashmir.

“The performance of Engineer Rashid shows there isconsiderable acceptance of his political ideology and if he manages torestructure his organisation he is likely to emerge as a strong force,” said apolitical analyst.

A first-time voter Naseer Ahmad from Uri said that youthsunlike their elders are not stuck to a particular ideology. He said there isdefinitely change on ground and whosoever comes up with a decisive policy onKashmir or shows his commitment like raising Kashmir issue would get vote fromyouths.

“I have been able to strike the conscience of over one lakhpeople and I am waiting to strike the conscience of every Kashmiri,” Rasheedsaid.

“It is a lesson to those who harass Engineer Rashid over hispolitical ideology. They must realise that I have the people’s mandate,” heasserted.

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