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Once a militancy hotbed, Sopore now witnesses revival of political activities
Sopore is among the 16 constituencies in north Kashmir set to go to assembly polls — the first in a decade in J&K — in the third and final phase of the elections in the Union territory. The results will be announced on October 8, along with the Haryana assembly polls.
Excitement for the upcoming polls is palpable in the Sopore assembly constituency in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, as candidates, all 20 of them, make their last-ditch efforts to woo voters in this apple town. Once a stronghold of separatists and a hotbed for militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, the region had witnessed a revival of political activities during the Lok Sabha polls earlier this summer.
Sopore is among the 16 constituencies in north Kashmir set to go to assembly polls — the first in a decade in J&K — in the third and final phase of the elections in the Union territory. The results will be announced on October 8, along with the Haryana assembly polls.
Emerging out of fear
For many in Sopore, the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year and the ongoing assembly polls are the revival of political activities since militancy gripped the region in 1989. The assembly seat has a unique history of electing separatist leader and Hurriyat hardliner, late Syed Ali Geelani, thrice, with the latest coming in 1987.
Following the emergence of militancy, the constituency witnessed dismal voter turnout. In 2008, only 19% electors exercised their franchise in the assembly segment, which went up to 30% in 2014. Most urban pockets would see less than 5% turnouts — a pattern that continued for decades until the Lok Sabha polls this summer.
In the 2024 parliamentary polls, voters in both urban and rural pockets came out in good numbers as the turnout surged to 45% from mere 4% in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
“This is the first big election after 1987 when prominent separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani got elected from Sopore. Thereafter, Sopore town and adjacent villages used to stay away from polls. The candidate whose village and relatives voted would go on to become MLA. The last Lok Sabha polls changed the equation when a large number of voters even in town voted,” Mushaq Ahmad Teli, a local resident, said. “Everybody is hopeful this time assembly polls will show good poll percentage.”
“In past two decades I have never seen such enthusiasm in the town. People are very anxious that they should get a chance to elect a local representative who knows the problems of the town. Whether this happens or not depends upon the voting percentage in the town,” Muneeb ul Haq, a local journalist, said.
Key candidates in fray
A total of 20 candidates are in the electoral arena in Sopore, with National Conference’s Irshad Rasool Kar, former legislator of Congress Abdul Rashid Dar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nominee Irfan Ali Lone representing the three big parties. Ten independent candidates, including Abdul Latief Wani, and three women nominees, including Arti Nehru, a Kashmiri Pandit, are also in the fray.
Majority of candidates from Sopore town have highlighted how the boycott of elections over the decades has left the apple town, a major business hub, neglected. Sopore has Asia’s second largest fruit mandi and majority of people in the region are associated with the apple trade.
Earlier this week, Congress lawmaker Rahul Gandhi, while campaigning for Abdul Rashid Dar, assured that efforts will be made to transport apple from Sopore to foreign countries.
Though the NC and Congress are contesting the J&K polls in alliance, the two parties are engaged in a “friendly contest” in Sopore and bot count on their parties base.
Abdul Latief Wani, the head of Anjuman e Moin ul Islam which is involved in charity and social works in Sopore, is seen by many as the dark horse in these elections. Wani, who is contesting as an independent after being overlooked by the NC, is banking on his clean reputation in the town and charity work.
“I have been involved in the social work of the town from years, so I know the problems people face. I can’t help everybody who comes to us at Moin ul Islam but if I will get elected as assembly member, I can be more helpful to people of my constituency,” Wani, whose campaign is mostly run by the youth of the town, said.
In the last Lok Sabha polls, Engineer Rashid took a sizeable lead from the constituency. His AIP candidate Advocate Mursaleen is aiming to get the attention of voters and want people to vote for her like they voted for the Baramulla MP.
