NVI Special Correspondent
Bijbehara,Sep 18(NVI): Out of the 24 Assembly segments of J&K going to polls today, Bijbehara seat is the lone one where the contest is toughest ever. Here, only three candidates are in the fray with direct fight between National Conference and PDP.
It is rather a battle of wits in Bijbehara between NC’s Dr Bashir Ahmed Veeri and PDP’s Iltija Mufti, the daughter of Mehbooba Mufti. Iltija is banking on her traditional voter base set by her grandfather Late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed followed by his daughter Mehbooba Mufti. This time, Mehbooba has decided not to contest on the pretext that the J&K Assembly has been reduced to mere Municipality. However, her daughter has plunged into the poll fray.
In Bijbehara town, Iltija relies on the voters who are committed to the ideology of Late Mufti and his daughter Mehbooba. Iltija has rigorously campaigned in her constituency where she repeatedly tendered apologies for the mistakes committed by her party in the past. Her opponent, Dr Veeri of NC is also a strong contender for the seat.
Since early morning, serpentine queues were seen at all polling booths of this politically significant constituency with people coming out in large numbers to cast their votes. Even though BJP has fielded its former MLC and senior leader Sofi Yousuf from the seat, he is, however, considered as a weak candidate against Dr Veeri and Iltija.
Dr Veeri is reposing faith in the NC’s committed vote bank majority of whom are old guards who have been voting for the party since late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah’s time. The voters here are divided for sure. In Bijbehara it’s a fight between “Plough and an Inkpot.”
An elderly voter after casting his vote shouted: “Only NC, nothing else. We can’t trust those who brought the Lotus party here (BJP). We are for the plough sign,” he said outside Marhama polling booth in Bijbehara. On the other end of the polling booth were the supporters of Iltija. “We are for PDP,” they shouted.
“This seat is up for a very tough battle. It’s the battle of ideologies. Everybody has a choice to vote for their favourite candidate. Bijbehara has suffered a lot in the past. We want an end to our miseries and safety of our boys. We want a peaceful life ahead for us and for our children. Besides, sadak, pani and bijli are our other issues that need to be resolved as well,” said Lateef Ahmed, a local resident of Marhama, Bijbehara.
An elderly woman openly said that she has voted for PDP. “Kalam Dawaat,” she shouted while showing her inked finger to the media men. “Aes gayi PDP yas seet (we are with PDP),” she said. A preliminary observation of the voting trend in Bijbehara suggested that the seat was up for a toughest ever battle in Kashmir as far the first phase of elections are concerned. Whosoever emerges victorious out of the two NC and PDP, the winning margin will be very thin. (News Vibes of India)
