Kangan assembly seat: A battle between NC legacy vs new faces

Kangan, Sept 21: Following the delimitation commission’s decision to reserve the Kangan assembly seat for Scheduled Tribes (ST), the upcoming election promises to be a significant contest, with candidates testing their political fortunes in this newly designated category.
The National Conference (NC) has placed its trust in Mian Mehr Ali, a fourth-generation member of the influential Mian family, while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has fielded Syed Jamaat Ali Shah Shaheen, a former Chief Accounts Treasury Officer.
Mian family has maintained a stronghold over the Kangan seat for the last 62 years, making Mehr Ali a formidable candidate. Political analysts point out that his great-grandfather, Mian Nizamuddin, won this seat once, Mian Bashir Larvi won it four times, and Mehr Ali’s father, Mian Altaf Ahmed, secured the seat five times.
NC’s faith in Mehr Ali follows Mian Altaf Ahmed’s previous success in parliamentary elections from South Kashmir and Pir Panjal. His candidacy is seen as a bid not only to retain the party’s dominance but also to preserve the family’s 62-year winning streak. However, with the seat now reserved for ST, the PDP has nominated Syed Jamaat Ali Shah Shaheen from Kangan, a move that analysts see as strategically significant. Shaheen is considered a strong competitor due to the PDP’s established vote bank in the region, and in the last election, the PDP candidate was narrowly defeated by just 432 votes.
Despite the Mian family’s consistent success in 10 consecutive elections, this contest presents a fresh challenge. As a newcomer in politics, it remains to be seen how much trust voters will place in Mehr Ali’s leadership.
In total, six candidates are contesting for the Kangan seat, including Atta Mohammad Khatana of the JK Apni Party, Mohammad Ayub Chohan of the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Liberal Party, Abdul Majeed Baniya of the Republican Party of India, and Ghulam Rubani Tedwa of the Anarakshit Samaj Party.
Historically, the Congress has won the Kangan seat three times, while the National Conference has secured it seven times. Mian Nizamuddin won on an NC ticket in 1962, while Mian Bashir Kiyanvi won on a Congress ticket in 1967 and 1972. Mian Bashir’s victories continued in 1977 and 1983, defeating Janta Party and other challengers. Mian Altaf Ahmed, meanwhile, triumphed in 1987, defeating Muslim United Front’s candidate Gul Mohammad War by nearly 4,700 votes, and later secured victories in 1996, 2002, and 2008. His 2014 win, by a mere 432 votes, added to the family’s legacy in the Kangan constituency.