Cong-NC friendly contest turns ‘unfriendly’ in Kashmir

Srinagar, : The friendly contest between National Conference (NC) and Congress in Kashmir in Parliament elections is turning unfriendly as Congress has pitted strong candidate in Anantnag and some of its leaders have entered in a secret deal with Peoples Conference candidate in Baramulla.
After leaving two seats in Jammu province to Congress, the National Conference is facing a strong Congress candidate in South Kashmir wherefrom Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee Chief, G A Mir, is contesting.
The NC didn't field any candidate in Jammu and Udhampur Parliamentary constituencies to help Congress against “communal forces” while they said that there will be a friendly contest on three seats in Kashmir valley apparently leaving all of them to the NC.
However, Mir is now contesting from Anantnag constituency and is pitted against former High Court Judge Hasnain Masoodi. This has turned the friendly contest unfriendly as Mir is said to be far stronger candidate than Masoodi.
In North Kashmir's Baramulla constituency, Congress has fielded a weak candidate- Farooq Ahmad Mir as part of friendly contest. Otherwise Salman Soz, son of veteran Congress leader Saifudin Soz, was to contest from Baramulla.
However, sources said that Mir was fielded from Baramulla after NC found that the Congress votes may go in favour of Peoples Conference candidate, Raja Ejaz Ali, in case there is no Congress candidate. They also said that NC got another candidate fielded to cut votes of the PC which could have been polled in Raja's favour in absence of that candidate.
And despite friendly contest in Baramulla between NC and Congress, sources said that two local leaders of Congress have entered into a deal with the PC. They were understood to have promised Raja to support him in exchange of the PC support in two Assembly segments to Congress in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
In Srinagar, however, the Congress is not contesting leaving the seat for NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah as part of the deal.
Sources said that the second thought of fielding Mir came to Congress as the NC candidate in Anantnag is thought to be weak against PDP candidate and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Mir's jumping into the fray will lead to tough contest in Anantnag where the less voting percentage may go in favour of Mir. Devsar, Kokernag, Dooru, Shangus and strong pockets of Congress which are considered to be comparatively peaceful areas in South Kashmir. The voting percentage is expected to be better here.
The NC candidate Masoodi may do better in Pahalgam, Home Shalibugh and Noorabad constituencies as NC is stronger in these segments and his contest against Mehbooba was looking lopsided.
In the other 11 segments, PDP has edge over its rivals but the major issue is voting percentage in these segments. If there is low voter turnout in these segments which are militancy infested it may go against PDP. However, if there is better voter percentage, it will help Mehbooba Mufti in going through.