SUHAIL KHAN
Sopore, Sep 09: Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, a fierce political contest is emerging for the Sopore constituency in north Kashmir.
Top official sources told Kashmir Despatch that Aijaz Guru, the brother of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru, is among the 30 candidates who have filed nomination forms to contest the Sopore assembly seat, and the number is likely to increase further in the next two days.
According to the sources, this is the first time that Sopore has seen such intense political activity and enthusiasm for the election contest.
Official sources stated that this is also the first constituency in north Kashmir where so many candidates have come forward to fight the elections.
The Sopore assembly seat has been a focus of attention from the beginning, and the interest in it has been growing day by day. In this context, the entry of Aijaz Ahmad Guru into the electoral politics as an independent candidate has added an interesting twist and a healthy competition.
Talking Exclusively with Kashmir Despatch, Aijaz Ahmad Guru said that he will provide a detailed briefing to the media about his candidacy in this assembly election tomorrow. However, he said he is still in talks with his family and friends for further developments.
Sources close to Aijaz Guru told Kashmir Despatch that his son’s arrest is one of the main reasons for him contesting the polls.
In December, the police in Baramulla district had claimed to have booked a “wanted drug peddler Shoaib Aijaz Guru” under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Afzal Guru, who hailed from North Kashmir, was hanged in 2013 for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack. This is the first time when someone from the Guru family is jumping into the electoral fray.
Aijaz Guru’s entry into the contest has further increased the interest in the Sopore seat, and analysts believe that it will be a challenging task for the contesting candidates in this assembly elections.
Earlier, Kashmir Despatch had conducted a ground survey, according to which there was a strong contest expected between the National Conference and the Congress. However, the current ground situation suggests a different contest.
Political analysts told Kashmir Despatch that the contest for the Sopore seat will be quite interesting, with a large number of candidates entering the fray, each trying to divide the votes.
According to the analysts, the key players in the contest so far are National Conference’s Irshad Rasool Kar, the likely Congress candidate Haji Abdul Rashid, People’s Democratic Party’s Irfan Ali, Awami Ittehaad Party’s Advocate Mursaleen, and independent candidate Advocate Latief Ahmad Wani.
However, the increasing number of candidates in the contest can pose a challenging situation for all the key players, and it may not be easy for them to manage and the contest is likely to be very close.
Meanwhile, Kashmir’s politics has entered a new stage, with various individuals from different backgrounds participating in the electoral process, making the contest more interesting.
Prominent figures including Syed Salim Geelani, Javid Hubbi, Mohammad Altaf Bhat, and Aga Muntazir Mehdi have joined political parties or are contesting as independent candidates beaides, the banned Jamaat-e-Islami has also fielded four independent candidates from South and others from north Kashmir marking the first time they are contesting elections in 30 years.
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
