Follow Us
Ishfaq Tantry
Tribune News Service
Baramulla, May 24
The just-concluded parliamentary elections have changed the political landscape in north Kashmir comprising Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts. The National Conference (NC) registered a lead in eight of the total 15 Assembly segments while Awami Ittehad Party leader Engineer Rashid also emerged as a dark horse, winning five crucial Assembly segments.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has drawn a zero as it has not been able to register a lead in any of the 15 Assembly segments of the Baramulla parliamentary constituency.
Rashid has also come at the second position in Bandipora and Sangrama Assembly segments, thus emerging as a viable alternative and choice for the people of the area as and when the elections to the J&K Assembly are held.
The NC, which has made a comeback in north Kashmir by winning the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, clinched eight Assembly segments of Rafiabad (3,402 votes), Bandipora (5,463 votes), Sonawari (24,495 votes), Kupwara (15,544 votes), Sopore (3,094 votes) and Sangrama (3,020 votes). Besides, the NC has also taken lead in the Gurez and Lolab Assembly segments.
However, in Uri, the party has been relegated to the second position with 10,935 votes as here Engineer Rashid has surprisingly registered a lead by getting 13,652 votes.
Apart from Uri, Rashid also registered a lead in his home constituency of Langate (15,154 votes), Karnah (5 463 votes) and Gulmarg (4,762 votes).
The People’s Conference, whose leader Sajad Lone had created a lot of expectations, with people from Kupwara viewing him as the future Chief Minister, could register lead in only two segments of Pattan and Handwara, the home turf of Lone. In Pattan, the party polled 13,390 votes, mostly from the Shia belts controlled by Imran Reza Ansari whereas in Handwara, the party has got 29,651 votes. However, in Handwara, the NC has got 21,466 votes bagging the second position whereas Rashid got the third position with 6,386 votes.
Baramulla vote share
2