As final results of 2019 Lok Sabha polls are set to be announced on Thursday, political parties in J&K are awaiting outcome of the state’s six seats with bated breath.
The Lok Sabha election in the state is seen as “semi-final”before the high-stakes Assembly election.
While National Conference and Bharatiya Janta Party arehopeful of winning three seats each, Peoples Democratic Party and PeoplesConference are eyeing to win Anantnag and Baramulla parliamentary segments,respectively.
The Congress too is optimistic about winning one to twoseats in the state.
Most of the observers will keenly watch the result ofAnantnag parliamentary segment where former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti iscontesting against NC’s Hasnain Masoodi and State Congress Chief Ghulam AhmadMir.
“This is a crucial battle for Mehbooba Mufti. Its outcomewill have impact on her party which is yet to recover from the rebellion facedby it last year,” an observer told Greater Kashmir.
In her political career of 23 years, Mehbooba has never lostan electoral battle. While Mehbooba was expected to sail through due to PDP’scadre strength in all pockets of south Kashmir, the low voter turnout in herstrongholds has put her in trouble.
“We are hopeful to win. It is a fact that we did not getimpressive lead from any Assembly segment but we have secured votes from everysegment,” a senior PDP leader told this newspaper.
According to observers, the voting pattern in four southKashmir districts has made it anybody’s game.
Going by the voting pattern in Central Kashmir, four-time CMFarooq Abdullah seems to have an edge over his rivals. “Division among Shiavotes coupled with modest voter turnout in areas like Chrar-i-Sharif and Kanganhas benefitted NC,” the observer said.
In north Kashmir, the competition is between NationalConference and Peoples Conference, even as Peoples Democratic Party and ErRashid are also expected to walk away with a sizeable chunk of votes.
While National Conference has cadre presence in almost allsegments of north Kashmir, Peoples Conference is banking on party’s loyal cadrebase and influential leaders like Imran Reza Ansari and Raja Aijaz. In the pasttwo Lok Sabha polls, PC stood a distant third.
It will also be interesting to watch the number of votes MLALangate Er Rashid would fetch from three districts of north Kashmir.
Rashid, who managed to pull crowds during electioneering, issupported by Shah Faesal, founder of Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Movement andGhulam Hassan Mir, chairman Democratic Party Nationalist.
In Jammu province, Congress and BJP are locked in a directcontest on both parliamentary segments.
Like Anantnag seat, anybody among the four main contenderscan emerge winner on Ladakh seat.
The main contestants on the seat are Rigzin Spalbar(Congress), Jamyang Namgyal (BJP), Asgar Karbalai (independent) and SajadKargili (independent).