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Son Abrar steers Engineer Rashid to maiden Lok Sabha win
Abrar Rashidcampaigned led the campaign for his father as he took on National Conference’s Omar Abdullah and People’s Conference’s Sajad Lone
His campaign started on the day his nomination was accepted and he managed to slay two giants, who campaigned for weeks and even months, to take away the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat.
A former two-time legislator who is currently lodged in Tihar jail on UAPA charges, will represent north Kashmir’s Baramulla Lok Sabha seat. Many in the constituency believe that his jail term had something to do with his honest calling out of those in power, garnering sympathy votes for him.
Abdul Rashid Sheikh also known as Engineer Rashid proved a giant slayer by defeating two top most leaders — former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah and Peoples Conference chairperson Sajjad Gani Lone by a margin of more than two lakh votes.
Rashid’s campaign, spearheaded by his son Abrar, found traction with the youth.
‘Victory of democracy’
“We didn’t have the money to file Rashid’s nomination, so the money was pooled by his supporters and many were not even sure whether his nomination form would be accepted. Once it was accepted, the people ran his campaign. From day one I was sure he was going to win by a big margin,”former legislator Shoiab Lone, who was the first politician to support Rashid, said. “His win is the victory of our democracy.”
Rashid quickly emerged as the “dark horse” from the 22-candidate field contesting for the seat as his campaign, centred on unjust imprisonment and local issues, found widespread resonance.
The leader has taken the fight to Omar and Lone, both of whom had put their prestige at stake in the battle for Baramulla.
Abrar, who is pursuing Masters in Botany, spearheaded the campaign for his jailed father Engineer Abdul Rashid. His fiery speeches caught the youth’s attention and he was a household name across Kashmir, known for the art of short speeches and election sloganeering as he stood atop vehicles.
“Your vote can get my father released. I haven’t seen him for the last five years. My father was detained just for highlighting issues of common Kashmir,” he roared in one of his speeches amid applause from a massive crowd.
Besides youths, members of non-governmental organisations and sports persons also declared their support for him, especially young and old women who voted for his release. The leader’s five-year jail term has also become a talking point, finding traction with the youth.
As his lead in votes consolidated, hundreds of locals, especially youth, converged at his residence in Langate to celebrate his victory. “To respect the huge mandate of the people, Engineer Rashid should be released,” Ubaid Ahmad, a driver who spent money from his pocket to run Rashid’s campaign, said.
After his win, Rashid’s aged mother appealed to the government to release him from jail. “I haven’t seen my son for the last five years. Now he should be released,” she said as the young supporters raised slogans in favour of the jailed leader.
Spread over four districts of Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara and parts of Budgam comprising 18 assembly segments, the constituency has around 17.62 lakh voters.
NC candidates have been elected from the seat 10 times, including the last time in 2019 when Mohammad Akbar Lone defeated the PC candidate by a margin of 30,000 votes. The Baramulla witnessed recorded polling of nearly 60% which many termed as sympathy vote for jailed leader.
The victory of Rashid from north Kashmir is going to create a new upheaval among the politicians in Kashmir especially the established parties and those which were formed post abrogation of Article 370.
