All Eyes on Gurez
Suhail Khan
Srinagar, Oct 6 : Kashmir’s political landscape has been dynamic over the past two months, marked by various developments during the assembly elections. As the results draw near, history may be in the making.
In the past week, the top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has asserted that they will not only form a government in Haryana but also in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the question remains: Can the BJP win any seats in Kashmir?
The BJP has contested 19 out of the 47 seats in the Kashmir Valley, focusing particularly on the Gurez seat in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district. Party leaders claim to have performed well on the ground, with significant voter turnout in that area.
The BJP has aggressively campaigned for its candidate in Gurez, with high hopes of securing this seat from the Kashmir division. Defense Minister and star campaigner Rajnath Singh visited Gurez Valley to support the party’s candidate.
Faqeer Muhammad Khan, a former MLA and the BJP candidate, is in a direct contest with Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurezi), the three-time MLA from the National Conference and former deputy speaker. This recruitment has proven to be competitive from day one.
In Gurez, there were a total of 22,291 registered voters, including 11,723 males and 10,568 females. A total of 17,378 votes were cast, yielding a remarkable voter turnout of 77.96 percent—the highest in the Kashmir region.
Political analysts and ground surveys indicate a tough contest between the two candidates. The high voter turnout has added an intriguing element to the outcome, making it difficult to predict which candidate will emerge victorious, a determination that will only be clear after the results are announced on October 8.
Meanwhile, exit poll predictions for Jammu and Kashmir suggest a hung assembly, favoring the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance over the Bharatiya Janata Party. The exit polls indicate that the NC could become the single-largest party in J&K, while independent candidates may play a crucial role as “kingmakers.”
Many exit polls have forecast that the BJP is making history by winning the Gurez seat; however, no party leader has made definitive statements regarding this claim.
In Jammu and Kashmir, there are 90 assembly seats. A political party needs 46 seats to form the government in the union territory.
Reacting to the exit poll predictions, J&K BJP President Ravinder Raina expressed confidence, stating that his party contested the assembly polls with full strength. “We are confident that the BJP will emerge as the single-largest party when the results are announced on October 8.”
Conversely, J&K Congress President Tair Hameed Karra claimed that the Congress-NC alliance is well-positioned to establish the next government in the union territory. “This election primarily focused on keeping the BJP out of power, alongside the restoration of statehood and guarantees for land and job security. I see the (Congress-NC) alliance as comfortable for forming the government,” Karra said.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) criticized the exit polls as unreliable, cautioning against premature discussions about government formation. “Historically, exit polls have proven unreliable. What matter are the final numbers that will emerge from the counting,” a spokesperson stated.
In the Gurez constituency, a total of five candidates are competing, representing the BJP, NC, DPAP, People’s Conference, and an independent candidate.
(The Web Story/The Varmul Post)
