Srinagar: The electoral battle for Baramulla parliamentary constituency, slated to go to polls on May 20 in the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, has become more interesting after Apni Party announced its support to Peoples Conference (PC) candidate Sajad Lone.
Lone on Saturday sought Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari's support in Baramulla seat to consolidate votes. Bukhari accepted the request and declared that his party will support Lone to "defeat traditional party", a hint at National Conference. Bukhari’s party has already announced candidates for Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seats.
National Conference (NC) vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah is contesting against Lone. NC and PC have been political rivals in Kupwara since the formation of the latter in late 70s.
Lone has been campaigning for Baramulla parliament seat for the last two months as his party was the first to declare his candidature while National Conference took its time to finalise its candidate. The two rivals are engaged in daily diatribes against each other since the election dates were announced.
With 18 lakh voters, the Baramulla Parliament seat constitutes 18 assembly segments spread from Budgam in Srinagar outskirts to Karnah in Kupwara and Gurez in Bandipora district. Sajad Lone's workers say that their leader has a strong support in Kupwara distinction which comprises six assembly seats. Of them, Handwara and Kupwara were won by PC candidates in 2014 elections, when Lone himself and his deputy Bashir Dar defeated NC's Choudhary Ramzan and Mir Saifullah.
It's in seven seats of Baramulla, three seats of Bandipora and two seats of Budgam and Beerwa that Lone is seeking support of Altaf Bukhari and other leaders including DDC chairman Budgam Nazir Khan, former PDP MLA Nizam ud Din Bhat. Apni Party has leaders in Gulmarg where Ghulam Hassan Mir has been its former legislator, Dilawar Mir of Rafiabad, Raja Manzoor and Javaid Mirchal in Karnah, both were legislators in PDP-BJP government, former Congress MLA and minister Usman Majeed in Bandipora segement.
Usman Majeed has been opposing Sajad Lone for his support in parliament elections. Usman was willing to contest from Baramulla against Lone and Omar, and was doing preparations for it. But, sources said, that Apni Party, with nudge from BJP General Secretary Tarun Chug, was compelled to declare its support to Lone.
Usman is still uncertain which candidate he should support. He told ETV Bharat that he will seek suggestions from workers which candidate they should support. As Lone is depending on support of other parties, National Conference is banking on its own party cadre and leaders which are spread across the constituency. NC has leaders in all 18 assembly segements who have been legislators and ministers in previous governments.
While Lone has been running a high-octane campaign in Kupwara and daily strategies of consolidating voters, National Conference is holding meetings of its workers and leaders in towns. With the entry of former PDP Rajya Sabha MP Fayaz Mir in the poll battle, the contest will further divide voters in the constituency. However, the main battle remains between Lone and Omar. And will Apni Party and other leaders support Lone against Omar Abdullah? The EVMs will speak on June 4.
