Ganderbal, Aug 28: Ahead of the upcoming Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has announced its latest list of candidates, which now includes senior leader Bashir Ahmad Mir. Mir is set to contest in the Ganderbal constituency, where he will face off against National Conference (NC) Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
This development sets the stage for a high-stakes battle in a constituency that has historically been a stronghold for the National Conference.
Bashir Ahmad Mir, a seasoned politician, has previously contested in the Kangan constituency, a bastion of NC’s senior leader Mian Altaf Ahmad. Despite not securing a victory, Mir made significant inroads by garnering 12,000 votes in the 2008 elections and an impressive 25,000 votes in the 2014 elections. His entry into the Ganderbal race is expected to inject fresh energy into the contest and could potentially challenge the NC’s dominance in the region.
Following the recent delimitation of Assembly Constituencies, the Kangan constituency has been designated as a Scheduled Tribe (ST) reserved constituency. This means that only candidates from tribal communities are eligible to contest elections in this constituency. Kangan, located in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, is a key part of the Srinagar parliamentary constituency.
Omar Abdullah, a prominent figure in Jammu and Kashmir politics, first entered the political arena in 1998 as a Lok Sabha member. He has since held various key positions, including Union Minister, and has been at the helm of the National Conference since 2002, succeeding his father.
However, Abdullah’s political journey in Ganderbal has seen ups and downs. After losing his seat in the 2002 state assembly elections, he made a strong comeback by winning the seat in the 2008 elections the National Conference won the maximum number of seats and formed a coalition government with the then Congress party and Omar was sworn in as the 11th Cheif Minister Of J&K.
Bashir Ahmad Mir’s nomination by the PDP marks a significant shift in the electoral dynamics of Ganderbal. Given his track record and growing support base, his entry is likely to make the contest one to watch closely. This high-stakes battle between two well-known political figures.
Speaking to reporters in Ganderbal after his nomination, Mir confirmed that he will be contesting for the Ganderbal seat, where Omar Abdullah is also running as the NC candidate.
