Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): The upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir being conducted after a decade has thrown up an electoral challenge to old rivals in many constituencies. In Kashmir's Kulgam district, the valley's lone communist leader, Muhammad Yousuf Rather, popular as Tarigami, is facing a banned Jamaat-e-Islami backed candidate as a formidable challenge to him after the 1996 elections.
The banned religio-political organisation is backing four independents in south Kashmir. Among them Sayar Ahmad Reshi, a teacher-turned-politician, is contesting against Tarigami from Kulgam assembly constituency which the CPI (M) leader has won on a trot four times since 1996 assembly elections.
With 117322 voters, Kulgam segment is the heart of this south Kashmir district and the constituency was re-drawn in the 2022 delimitation, which has altered the voter geography of the previous segment. The CPI (M) candidate is an INDIA alliance candidate backed by the National Conference and Congress. His prime strength is his own support and the NC votes while Congress has least presence in the segment.
Since 1996, Tarigami has been challenged by National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates. In the 2008 and 2014 assembly polls, Tarigami won by a narrow margin against PDP's candidate Nazir Ahmad Laway, when JeI were accused of giving covert support to PDP. Tarigami had polled 17,175 while got Laway 16,938 votes when the constituency witnessed a total poll of 50,160 votes. Laway had left PDP in 2020 and is now trying his luck as a Peoples Conference candidate. PDP has fielded Muhammad Amin Dar while six other candidates are also in the fray.
Dar was a close associate of Tarigami and had contested the 2014 assembly elections on a CPIM ticket from the Homeshali Bugh constituency. This segment was redrawn and merged by the delimitation commission into the Kulgam and Anantnag segments.
Historically, Kulgam segment would witness the electoral battle between National Conference and JeI. NC candidate Mohammad Yaqub Bhat had won the 1962 assembly elections, and in 1967 as a Congress candidate. In the 1972 assembly elections, Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Abdul Razaq Mir had won the elections against NC. And NC's Ghulam Nabi Dar in1977 and 1983. JeI candidate Mir won 1987 as Muslim United Front (MUF). Tarigami was in the fray then as an emerging communist leader in the Valley.
The 1987 elections which were won by NC were marred with allegations of rigging that set the stage for boycott politics in Kashmir. After the 1996 elections which Tarigami won, the ballot battle has shifted between communists and Jamaat.
Tarigami won his first assembly elections in 1996 amid militancy and boycott. Since then, he has won all the three assembly elections of 2002, 2008, and 2014 on a trot. The 2008 and 2014 elections were won by Tarigami by very few votes. The 2014 polls had a victory margin of just 334 votes between Tarigami (20,574 votes) and Laway (20,240 votes). The same story of close win repeated in the 2008 elections when Tarigami polled 17,175 votes and Laway 16,939 votes- a difference of 236 votes.
While the contest is among the ten candidates, the main attractions are Tarigami and Reshi. Reshi, was a contractual lecturer in government colleges in south Kashmir known as 'Sayar Sir' locally for his contribution in the education sector. He was Assistant Director of Jamaat-Affiliate Falah-e-Aam Trust, then ran a chain of schools in the valley. He along with the three JeI backed candidates held a big campaign rally on Sunday in Bugam village which witnessed a big gathering of JeI supporters and sympathisers.
Muzamil Ahmad, a local in Kulgam, said that the rally in support of Reshi triggered and mobilised the JeI cadre and sympathisers. “Since the day of the rally, Tarigami has gone scathingly against Reshi and JeI. He is invoking the Jamaat’s election boycott stance since 1987 and their presumed role during militancy which is echoing well among his supporters. This seems he is perturbed by the overwhelming support that Reshi is getting,” he said.
Mansoor Ahmad, a Phd Scholar and supporter of Tarigami told ETV Bharat that the development of the constituency must be the central debate during elections but the JeI-backed candidate has given the campaign a religious colour.
“Anybody can contest elections, but the stance of Jammat during militancy is in complete contrast to today. The JeI backed candidate is misusing religion for votes. It will be a catastrophe for us if he is elected,” Ahmad said.
In videos which are viral on social media pages of the candidates, Tarigami and Reshi both are now giving religious colour to their campaigns rather than pitching their development narratives.
“Even though both the candidates in their interviews give a thrust on development and dignity, their campaigns and rallies have turned vitriolic,” Shamim Ahmad, another local said.
Kulgam is voting on September 18 in the first phase when voting will be conducted in 24 constituencies of south Kashmir and Chenab valley districts. Which way the majority of the voters will drift--towards a Jammat educationist or an old comrade, come counting day on October 8. However, Tarigami has now a formidable challenge in Jamaat with their entry in electoral politics.
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