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J&K DDC polls: Harwan ballot likely to seal summer capital’s fate
Of the total 14 rural constituencies in Srinagar district, six segments fall in the Harwan area.
Harwan, the picturesque hamlet on the outskirts of the summer capital, may emerge as the decider for Srinagar district in the ongoing district development council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Of the total 14 rural constituencies in the district, six segments fall in the Harwan area, nestled between snow-covered mountains, cold streams and Mughal Gardens, around 19km from the city’s centre Lal Chowk.
All the 14 constituencies of the district went to polls in the first two phases of the DDC elections, polling 33.76 % and 33.78% in phases I and II respectively.
“Harwan will decide in whose kitty Srinagar will go. If any political entity manages to get Harwan’s six seats, it will be in a strong position to control the capital,” said Ali Mohammad Rather, an Independent candidate adopted by People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) in Theed constituency of Harwan.
The first round of polling in Harwan was held on November 28.
The DDC elections are happening for the first time in J&K after the special status of the erstwhile state under Article 370 was revoked in August last year and the region bifurcated into two union territories.
Local mainstream rivals NC and PDP along with other four smaller parties have formed People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration(PAGD), demanding restoration of Article 370 and have been asking votes to “save the identity” of the erstwhile state. The fight is between PAGD, newly floated Apni Party by former PDP leader Altaf Bukhari and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Harwan may play a significant role but the other eight seats are scattered and are equally important. Actually, Sonwar constituency covers nine of the 14 Srinagar seats,” said Ehsan Pardesi, NC’s Sonwar in-charge and vice president of party’s youth wing.
The 14 DDC seats of Srinagar can be broadly divided into four areas — Harwan (6), Kohmoh (3) which together make Sonwar assembly constituency, Nowgam Lasjan (3) and Qamarwari Panzinara (2). Four different political parties are in the sway here.
Traditionally, Harwan, part of the Sonwar assembly constituency, has been a stronghold of National Conference (NC). However, in the last assembly polls in 2014, the constituency went to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Mohammad Ashraf Mir, who defeated former J&K chief minister and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah. A major portion of Srinagar’s Gujjar-Bakerwal communities reside in these areas.
Mir, however, left PDP and is now part of the newly floated Apni Party led by former PDP leader Altaf Bukhari.
“This time Harwan is not with NC. Our party is the emerging factor. Even BJP is strong,” said Ashraf Mir, who is the provincial president of Apni Party now.
In Lasjan, the PAGD have fielded candidates supportive of Javaid Mustafa Mir belonging to the People’s Movement. Khonmoh is a mixed bag with pockets of support for the BJP’s Aijaz Hussain. Panzinara is close to Pattan area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district and is considered by PAGD a stronghold of People’s Conference led by Sajad Lone.
“Competition is tough at some places while we are poised to win a couple of seats in Nowgam,” said BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur.
Mohammad Shafi Dar, a local from the Gandtal seat, said the tussle is between alliance candidates and independents in the Harwan belt as people were more concerned for local development. “BJP is not very popular here. Coming together of the Gupkar Alliance is considered good but its constituents face a trust deficit. Independents may give a tough fight to the alliance,” said Dar.
