Srinagar, Sept 30: With the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections set on Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BKP) is seeking its first-ever victory in the Gurez constituency located along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
National Conference (NC) candidate Nazir Ahmad Khan is facing a strong challenge from the BJP leader Faqeer Mohammad Khan, with political observers noting a good voter turnout in favour of the saffron party.
If BJP succeeds in securing the Gurez seat, it would mark the party’s first-ever win in the Kashmir Valley.
Faqeer Mohammad Khan, a veteran politician in Gurez, won his first and only election in 1996, defeating NC’s Mohd Anwar Shangroo. Since then, he has been a consistent presence in the political arena but has faced narrow defeats in subsequent elections.
In 2002, he lost to Nazir Ahmad Khan by 732 votes, and in 2014, the gap was even closer, with a margin of only 141 votes.
Faqeer, a resident of Tulail, has a strong advantage in his home area, which has a voter base of around 11,000. Notably, there is no candidate running against him in this area, giving him a clear path to secure a majority of votes from Tulail.
Meanwhile, NC’s Nazir Ahmad Khan faces competition from the Democratic Progressive Azad Party’s (DPAP) candidate, Nisar Lone, who took voluntary retirement and is contesting elections for the first time. Lone is being viewed as a potential vote-splitter for Nazir Khan, which could impact the final results in favour of the BJP.
“We are confident this time,” said Ajaz Khan, son of Faqeer Mohammad Khan, while speaking to Rising Kashmir. He said they have been campaigning on the issue of all-weather connectivity for Gurez through a tunnel, which has been a long-standing demand of the people.
“Our focus is to ensure that Gurez remains connected to the rest of the valley year-round, which is important for the development and welfare of the constituency,” he added.
In what is seen as a major push for Faqeer Khan’s campaign, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Gurez recently to rally support for the BJP candidate. The high-profile visit is believed to have boosted Faqeer’s chances, as Singh assured that if the BJP candidate wins, they will bring the tunnel for Gurez, which is seen as the major issue of Gurez.
Despite the close contests in the past, Faqeer said he is hopeful of securing victory this time. “We are optimistic, especially with the support we have gained from addressing the real issues that affect Gurez,” Khan said.
