Independents likely to rule Srinagar

JUNAID SIDIQ

SRINAGAR: Independent candidates have emerged as strong horses in the urban local bodies (ULB) in Kashmir by winning many important wards across the Valley, besides grabbing the maximum seats in all important Srinagar Municipal Committee (SMC).

The performance by the Independent candidates, who will now play a crucial role in deciding who will stake claim to the powerful position of the mayor, have already caught the attention of two political parties the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who are pitching them to shake hands with their respective parties.

According to the official data, in SMC out of 74 wards, Independent candidates managed to secure whopping 53 wards.

Among the prominent faces in Independent candidates that were contesting elections for SMC, Junaid Azim Matoo, former spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) swept all three wards that include Solina, Rawalpora and Bud Dal.

Mattu won ward 14 Rawalpora with 180 votes, Solina ward 18 with 157 votes and ward 65 Bud Dal with 1083 votes.

However, the biggest upset was caused by Independent candidate Fancy Jan from Srinagar Municipalities Lawaypora ward. Jan emerged a winner by beating Congress leader Tariq Qarra’s wife Asifa Hamid Qarra by 18 votes.

Officials said that from SMC’s ward No 31, Lawaypora, Asifa Tariq Karra of Congress got 501 votes while Fancy Jan (independent) got 519 votes.

In Ganderbal municipal committee out of 17 wards, Independent candidates won 13 wards. In Kupwara municipal committee out of 39 wards, Independent candidates won 33 wards.

In Budgam municipal committee out of 72 wards, Independent candidates secure 16 wards. In Baramulla municipal committee Independent candidates won 25 wards out of 88 wards.

Similarly, in Bandipora municipal committee out of 43 wards, Independent candidates won 10 wards. In Anantnag municipal committee, 11 wards were won by Independent candidates out of 132 wards.

Independent candidates have also won 7 wards out of 13 wards of municipal committee Kargil.

Given the performance by the Independent candidates, the two political parties the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are already calling them out to shake hands with their respective parties.

Addressing a press conference JKPCC president Ghulam Ahmad Mir said he is ready to go with or take along any group which comes forward to stop communal forces like the BJP in the state.

“I would appeal all the winning candidates who have secular ideology and believe in this mission of not having a communal (forces)-backed committee or mayor at least in Srinagar (Municipal Corporation),” Mir said.

BJP state general secretary Ashok Koul also said their doors are open for Independent candidates who want to join them in choosing the mayor of the city.

The voter turnout in the polls was low, with 8.3 per cent votes cast in the first phase on October 8, 3.4 per cent in the second phase on October 10, 3.49 per cent in the third phase on October 13 and 4.2 per cent in the last phase on October 16. The overall percentage was 35.1 per cent.

The counting for the polls that concluded on October 16 began at 8 am today.