dooru-an-easy-cakewalk-for-congress-in-j-k-polls

As political battles intensify in the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18, a majority of constituencies are set for multi-pronged battles between well-known candidates of the major parties.

 

However, there is one particular seat in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district that, despite being important, has only one prominent politician in the fray.

 

The Dooru Assembly segment, where voting will take place on September 18 in the first phase, has only one prominent and established political leader vying for the seat. 

 

Congress candidate Ghulam Ahmad Mir, a former two-time MLA from Dooru, is contesting to secure the seat for the third time after losing it to the PDP's Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi in the last elections of 2014.

 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is battling with its worst-ever existential crisis after the alliance with the BJP broke up in 2018. 

 

Experts point out that it may take PDP decades to regain the lost confidence after the 2019 abrogation of Article 370.

 

However, there are chances that with their stronghold in south Kashmir, the party could manage to secure some seats like the one in Bijbehara Anantnag, where Iltija Mufti is contesting.

 

Mir is currently considered to be the strongest candidate from the constituency who is likely to score an easy win since no prominent candidate is challenging him for this particular constituency.

 

Political observers feel the constitution will mean an easy cake-walk win for Mir due to his proven credentials. 

 

Besides Mir, PDP has fielded Mohammad Ashraf Malik, a former District and Sessions Judge, to represent the party from the constituency.

 

JK Apni Party has fielded Bashir Ahmad Wani, while DPAP has fielded Mohamed Saleem Paray.

 

The NC-Congress alliance has collectively secured the seat seven out of eight times from 1962 up to  the last elections when the PDP managed to secure the seat with just 161 votes in 2014.

 

Previous winners of this seat include Mir Qasim (JKNC) in 1962, Haji Abdul Gani Khan (JKNC) in 1977, Mohammad Akbar Ganie (JKNC) in 1983, Mohammad Akbar Ganie (JKNC) in 1987, Ghulam Hassan Wani (JKNC) in 1996, and Ghulam Ahmad Mir (Congress) in 2002, Ghulam Ahmad Mir (Congress) in 2008, and Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi (JKPDP) in 2014.

 

As per ECI data, there were 48,318 electors in the constituency, among which 24,469 voters were men and 23,751 were women.