When Awami Ittihad Party leader and former legislator, engineer Rashid, decided to contest the LokSabha election from the Baramulla parliamentary constituency last month, nobody had imagined that his rallies and social media campaigning will impact the voters’ psyche, particularly youngsters, in the north Kashmir segment.
“He (Rashid) cannot resolve the Kashmir issue, but he will raisehis voice in the parliament over issues facing Kashmir. He has fought for therights of Kashmiris in the Assembly,” said a group of youngsters in Kupwaratown, where the polling was held in the first phase of the general electionsThursday.
Rashid’s fiery speeches and protests within and outside theAssembly seemed to have attracted youth towards the polling booths in severalareas.
“He is the only MLA who was beaten up within and outside theAssembly many times for speaking up for the people of Kashmir,” said NazirAhmad of Maratigam.
Rashid may not be able to win, but he seemed to have madehis presence felt in almost 10 to 12 segments in the northern constituency.
From Uri to Karnah, Rashid seems to have upset calculationsof the established mainstream political parties.
“We never expected that he would evoke such a response,where mostly youngsters voted for him today,” said a National Conferenceleader, who was a minister in the NC-Congress regime headed by Omar Abdullah.
After deciding to contest the elections on March 22, Rashidwould frequently appear on social media to seek votes.
He was also able to attract impressive crowds during hisrallies in different parts of north Kashmir. Rashid was also supported by IAS officer-turned-political Shah Faesaland chairman Democratic Party Nationalist, Ghulam Hassan Mir.