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NC to stake claim to form govt
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Farooq in race for
CM post
Amarnath land row benefits BJP
BJP fails to open account in erstwhile Doda
It’s triumph of democracy
Results echo regional divide
Cong, PDP, NC win one seat each in Poonch
Sikhs with kirpans denied entry into counting centres
1,300 appear for UGC examination
Vohra greets Ladakhis
3 women elected
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NC to stake claim to form govt
Srinagar, December 28 Omar told reporters at his residence while the party supporters celebrated his comfortable victory in Ganderbal that the electorate's verdict was for his party to form the government. Stretching his hand to the Congress for an alliance, he said both the NC and the Congress are like-minded parties and it was up to the Congress leadership to decide if they wanted to continue with the same policies that created the “disaster of summer” in the state. He was referring to the Amarnath land crisis. “The PDP and the BJP have benefited in this elections due to their parochial policies. Both divided the state on religious and regional lines,” he said. He admitted that the numbers for the NC have been below expectation. "We expected 35 seats. People's verdict is to be accepted. They want the NC to form a coalition government,” he said. The 38-year-old scion of the Abdullah clan ruled out any alliance with the BJP and said he would prefer to sit in Opposition than forming government with it. Senior party leader Ali Mohammad Sagar, who won from Khanayar in Srinagar, said his party faced people's ire in the valley when they allied
with the BJP-led NDA government. “Party leaders are unanimous against any alliance with the
BJP,” he said. When asked of his party's chief ministerial candidate, Omar said the NC had projected party patron and his father Farooq Abdullah, who won from both seats he contested, as the one but circumstances have changed. “If we had reached the majority on our own, then Abdullah sahib (his father) would be the natural choice. But in the likelihood of an alliance, the name for the Chief Minister's chair could be announced only after taking into account allies’ views,” he said. |
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Omar will serve people better: Farooq
Srinagar, December 28 "Why not? Omar is a young man. If he could serve better, why not?" Abdullah said when asked if Omar could be the NC choice for the Chief Minister's post. The former Chief Minister, who is a Rajya Sabha member, said he would like to continue in the Upper House of Parliament. "I would rather be in Parliament," he said. The party had earlier projected Abdullah senior as its chief ministerial candidate during the elections to the 87-member Assembly. Abdullah, however, said since the state had a hung Assembly, the NC would like to take a decision on the post of Chief Minister in consultation with the future coalition partner. "The two parties will decide about the Chief Minister’s candidate. We have gone to the people with the promise of providing good governance," he said. The NC patron dismissed the suggestion that the relations between him and his son, Omar, were not cordial by saying that "father and son do not differ". The former Chief Minister virtually thanked the militant organisations and Pakistan for the peaceful Assembly elections that saw an impressive voter turnout in the state. “Here I would like to say very frankly, we owe a lot to militant organisations that did not use the gun because in case they had done so, we would have been in trouble. I think Pakistan did put pressure on them that they should not do anything to affect the elections,” he said. Abdullah said every one should join hands and try to get the separatists on table to come to “some sort of agreement”. He said if the separatists were not brought to the discussion, peace would not come.
— PTI |
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Srinagar, December 28 Anwsering a flurry of questions on the chief ministership, Abdullah declared he would be the next Chief Minister. The NC projected him as the chief ministerial candidate before the elections and the party stood by that and there is no change in that stand, Farooq said. Farooq’s statement is at variance with his pre-poll stand that he would accept the chief ministership only if his party obtained absolute majority on his own. With the NC failing to obtain an absolute majority, the expectation in political circles was that Farooq’s 38-year-old son Omar would head the coalition which is expected to be backed by the Congress. Omar, who made his debut into the state Assembly winning the Ganderbal seat which he lost in 2002, is believed to enjoy support from important Congress leaders at the Centre. — PTI
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Grand reception to Omar in Ganderbal
Ganderbal, December 28 From the moment counting began, people had some anxious moments as initial trends were against Abdullah. The supporters were soon smiling as Omar emerged winner defeating PDP’s Qazi Mohammad Afzal, who was in the helm of affairs during the Amarnath land row and received much flak then. Omar, who was waiting in Srinagar monitoring the results and mulling possible permutations and combinations, then went to his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah and grandmother Begum Abdullah’s grave located at the banks of the Dal Lake to offer tributes. Accompanied by wife Payal and two kids Zamir and Zahir, Omar then headed towards his constituency, 35 km away from the state capital. As soon as the news of the 38-year-old leader’s arrival reached this comatose township, anxious supporters gathered near Omar’s vehicle giving tough time to his security staff, which despite their best efforts could not stop people from reaching to him. While many elderly women daring the biting cold were at the scene to bless him, young men and children danced to the drumbeats and raised slogans in support of Omar. As the cavalcade slowly headed towards the counting centre for Omar to receive the certificate from the presiding officer, people in thousands lined the roads and showered flowers at their young MLA. His motorcade was repeatedly stopped by people, who wanted to convey their regards to their new representative. Brimming with confidence for making the first entry in the state Assembly, Omar dedicated his victory to the people of the constituency. “I am elated and thankful to the people of Ganderbal who have given me a chance to serve them, which I will be doing in the right earnest. I wanted to begin from the same seat where I had tasted defeat. I knew the vote against me in 2002 was the anger of people and all I wanted to convince them was to give me a chance,” he said.
— PTI |
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PDP’s tally increases but big guns lose
Srinagar, December 28 “It is for the Congress to decide if they want to align with us,” party president Mehbooba Mufti said when asked of her chances of government formation. She claimed that work of the previous PDP-Congress government has been “universally” appreciated. The PDP kept its strongholds in the 16 constituencies of south Kashmir intact by winning 12 of them, the same tally they had last time. Though the party has managed to improve upon its tally in many parts of the state and even opening its account in Jammu division, shocking losses of some of its formidable candidates - all ministers - has dealt it severe blow. Dilawar Mir, a cabinet minister in the last government who had won from Rafiabad thrice, lost to Javaid Dar of the NC while former finance minister Tariq Hamid Qarra, the man who fuelled the controversial issue of dual currency in the state, was humiliated in Batmaloo by NC's Irfan Shah. The PDP also suffered a jolt in Noorabad where former minister and senior-most MLA Abdul Aziz Zargar lost to Sakeena Ittoo of the NC. Party's patron Mufti Sayeed and president Mehbooba Mufti won comfortably from Anantnag and Wachi seats. Former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh emerged victorious in Baramulla while senior leader Iftikhar Hussain Ansari won from Pattan In south Kashmir, home of Mufti Sayeed, the PDP swept the six constituencies in Pulwama and Shopian districts winning all of them while it won six of the 10 seats in Anantnag and Kulgam. The rest went exactly the same way as in 2002 with the Congress picking two and the NC and CPM retaining one each. The party won a seat in the frontier district of Kupwara, where it had previously lost in all five seats, by picking Lolab seat that was won by the NC in 2002. In Budgam, the PDP and the NC retained their previous tally of two seats each. The PDP sprang a surprise in Bandipore where its candidate and senior leader Nizamuddin Bhat humbled previous MLA and local strongman Usman Majid. Majid is a militant-turned-politician who was fighting as an independent. However, the party fared poorly in the high-profile Srinagar district and lost in all the eight seats. |
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Rajnath: BJP will sit in opposition
Jammu, December 28 Talking to The Tribune over phone, Rajnath Singh said: “We have moved from one to 11 seats and are hopeful of making the government in the next Assembly elections." He admitted that the Amarnath land dispute played a major role in the party's victory. “This issue did not carry the religious tones but presented the stark discrimination the Jammu region has been facing versus the valley. The people raised their anger against it and the BJP supported it,” he said, adding that his party had base in the region. “We have been in Jammu for years, and had won eight seats in 1996 Assembly elections as well. “We are committed to the developmental works of this region," he said while revealing that the party plans to make its foray into the Kashmir valley as well. In this close four-way fight for power, the BJP has been kept at bay by the parties like the NC, Congress and the PDP that are staking claim in government formation by labelling it as communal. On the issue Rajnath commented: “We will clear the confusion which these parties have spread against us. The way the BSP brought significant change in its ideology to rein power in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP does not think on those lines." "The BJP is a nationalist and a secular party that will never change its ideology. We have spread our base without compromising on our ideology," he added. Mooting the possible aspect where the party could further improve, RP Singh, BJP co-in-charge of state affairs, said: “I accept my mistake in case of ticket distribution at some places. Otherwise we would have taken our tally to 15. But still, I am happy over what we gained." Though the party did not gain any seat in the valley, it was satisfied from its increased vote percentage. RP Singh said: “Our vote percentage has increased from 8.5 per cent in last Assembly elections to 19 per cent this time. Next time you will see remarkable result on the lines of Karnataka and Gujarat where we have moved further with increase in vote percentages.” |
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Amarnath land row benefits BJP
Jammu, December 28 The BJP made major gains in Hindu-dominated seats of Jammu and Kathua districts. It won seven of the 11 seats in Jammu district and three out of five in Kathua district, while the remaining one came in the form of Baldev Raj from Reasi. The party, however, received a jolt in Samba district, losing both seats, where four Amarnath land protesters had fallen to police bullets. Interestingly, the BJP also lost the Bishnah seat from where it had fielded Shilpi Verma, whose husband Kuldeep Verma had committed suicide over the land row. She lost to Independent candidate Ashwani Sharma whom the BJP had supported in the last Assembly elections. The BJP had exploited the land row to the hilt during the election campaign while the Congress was relying on the development card in the Jammu region. Clearly, the people have voted on an emotive issue. Also, the BJP raked up the issue of discrimination with Jammu and delimitation by harping on what it termed as "political empowerment of Jammu". Though the Congress leaders too had come out in the support of the land agitation to check erosion in their votebank, their attempts didn't yield the desired result. The land row led to the defeat of many Congress heavyweights, including former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma who lost to former Union minister Chaman Lal Gupta of the BJP from Jammu West. Others are sitting Congress MP Lal Singh (Kathua), former Congress ministers Gulchain Singh Charak (Bishnah), Gharu Ram (Suchetgarh) and Mula Ram (Raipur Domana). However, the Congress did well in Muslim-dominated areas, winning five of the six seats in erstwhile Doda district. In all these Muslim majority seats, Hindus too have a sizable presence. In the Poonch-Rajouri belt also there was little effect of the land row, as the NC won three seats while the Congress and the PDP two each out of the total seven seats. Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti convener Lila Karan Sharma said though the people had not totally rejected the Kashmir-centric parties in Jammu, many candidates who fought for Jammu's cause had been elected. "The BJP and the Panthers Party, which supported the agitation, won 14 seats while Congress candidates like Raman Bhalla (Gandhi Nagar) and Sham Lal Sharma (Akhnoor), who came out in our support, also won," he said while expressing happiness that all former Congress ministers who were part of the
Cabinet meeting that revoked land transfer to the Amarnath Shrine Board were punished. |
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BJP in celebration mood
Jammu, December 28 Since morning the mood in the BJP office in Jammu was upbeat as the counting trend from the Assembly constituencies started pouring in, showing the party candidates leading in various Assembly constituencies. The party supporters were glued on to television sets as they watched the results that continued to pour in till late evening. As soon as the trend converted into final results, the elated party cadre and supporters of the party started celebrations outside the party office with firecrackers and sweets. “The tally of seats shows that the people of Jammu have now shown a united face after facing more than 60 years of discrimination,” BJP state president Ashok Khajuria, who won from the Jammu east Assembly constituency, said. Though the party won’t be able to claim any stake in the government, the elevation of the party’s tally from one seat in the last Assembly elections to 11 in 2008 has shown that the party has emerged as a power to reckon with in Jammu region. On the other hand, the party office of the Congress wore a deserted look as the party leadership was busy introspecting what had gone wrong for the debacle. Many former ministers bite dust in the elections. A majority of the rooms, including that of the state Congress chief, at the party office were locked while a few leaders and activists were sitting in a room. |
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BJP fails to open account in erstwhile Doda
Udhampur, December 28 While as the Congress consolidated its position in erstwhile Doda district (comprising Ramban and Kishtwar districts), the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) maintained its dominance in Udhampur district. Though the BJP has improved its voting percentage in Doda and Kishtwar districts, the party failed to open its account from communally sensitive mountainous belt. Out of total six seats of the erstwhile Doda district, the Congress, in 2002, in this belt had won only two. This time the Congress virtually swept this mountainous belt and won five seats while as the NC retained Kishtwar segment. Former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad comfortably won the Bhaderwah Assembly seat in a one-sided battle while as party candidates Ghulam Mohammad Saroori and Abdul Majid Wani emerged victorious from the Inderwal and Doda Assembly seats, respectively. The Congress this time also won the Ramban and Banihal Assembly segment where party had given mandate to young candidates. Similarly, the JKNPP has also proved its popularity in Udhampur district. Even as the supremo of the JKNPP, Bhim Singh, failed to get respectable votes from the Jammu east Assembly segment, the party has maintained its dominance in Udhampur district. This time the party has emerged victorious from two seats while the Congress snatched one seat. JKNPP stalwart and former Education Minister Harsh Dev Singh emerged victorious from the Ramnagar Assembly segment for the third consecutive term defeating his BSP rival Vinod Khajuria by a huge margin of more than 12,000 votes. Harsh Dev Singh secured 30,609 votes while his rival got 18,463 votes from this seat. |
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It’s triumph of democracy
Jammu, December 28 The "expected" expansion in the BJP base is believed to be because of people's faith in the party that supported the land row agitation. “Though the BJP is not in a position to form the government, we have faith that it will make its presence felt as the voice of Jammu in the Assembly,” said Surinder Sharma, a resident of Jammu. “High voter turnout is indicative of people's want for accountable governance,” said Kamran Zaffar, a student of political science, adding: “This election has proved that only those who perform will win. Another good aspect of the election outcome is gradual polarisation of political
parties, which is a good sign of democracy.” “The authorities deserve a pat for conducting elections under such hostile conditions,” said Rakesh Suri, a bank employee. He added that the new government should be pragmatic and work for the restoration of peace and prosperity. Shopkeeper Kamal Gupta of Parade said the winning MLAs instead of using regionalism and other emotions of the ilk should concentrate on economic and political empowerment of the state. “I am happy with the result,” said, Suman Sharma, a housewife, anticipating that the new government would work for everyone's prosperity. “I am a bit doubtful if these results are the cause of joy. This is a big mistake that the voters will soon understand. The BJP has triumphed over communal card. Therefore, the results are indeed a pointer to the naked fact that the populace has fallen play to evil designs,” believed Mohd Sageer. Sanket Gupta, an employee with the private sector, said: “The election has proved that only those who perform will win.” But he apprehended the sanctity of the coalition. “We wish good luck to the would-be government,” said a group of varsity students, adding: “It is good news for people committed to see India prosper. Hope it will be an end to post-agitation trend and a new dawn descends on our state." |
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Results echo regional divide
Jammu/Chandigarh, December 28 The Amarnath land row played a crucial role in the Jammu region where the BJP has gained the most. The PDP has done fairly well because it helped de-militarise the state and restored people’s confidence by ordering the security forces back to
the barracks. The Congress has gained from two factors - development works of Ghulam Nabi Azad and, secondly, its secular credentials. The NC, on the other hand, has retained its political mass base after having remained out of power by returning the same number of legislators to the 87-member Assembly as during the 2002 poll. A coalition government is now a reality as no single party has secured a majority. The result has a very important lesson for political parties that the single most important factor to determine the outcome of any poll will be governance. The J&K elections have once again established that democracy in India has come of age and no individual or party can take the electorate for granted. The BJP has certainly benefited from the sharp polarisation between the Jammu and Kashmir regions following the agitation in Jammu. Further, the Mumbai carnage and the high poll turnout in Kashmir boosted the heavy turnout of voters in the Jammu region, benefiting the BJP. On the other hand, the Congress was at a disadvantage due to anti-incumbency as well as for its failed promises made in the 2002 election manifesto. But despite losing some seats the Congress still is the only party that will be surely in the saddle once the next state Assembly is constituted. No other political party can dream of forming the government without support of the Congress. Since, the BJP has serious ideological differences with both NC and the PDP, it will not risk supporting either of them, not even from outside in view of the next parliamentary poll, expected to be held in April, 2009. On the other hand, both NC and the PDP would have no hesitation in seeking Congress support. |
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Cong, PDP, NC win one seat each in Poonch
Rajouri, December 28 In Poonch district with three Assembly segments Poonch-Haveli, Surankote and Mendhar that went to polls in the first phase on November 17, the NC, Congress and the PDP got one seat each. In Poonch-Haveli NC's Ajaz Ahmed Jan got 28,297 votes defeating his nearest rival and Congress leader Choudhary Bashir Ahmed Naaz by nearly 10,000 votes.In Surankote Assembly segment, former MP and senior Congress leader Choudhary Muhammad Aslam defeated Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari of the NC by more than 2,000 votes. Rafiq Hussain Khan of the PDP defeated Javid Rana of the NC in a bitterly fought contest in Mendhar Assembly segment. In Rajouri district with four Assembly segments of Rajouri, Darhal, Kalakote and Nowshera, the NC got two seats while the Congress and the PDP got one each. In Rajouri Assembly segment, Congress's Shabir Ahmed Khan won the seat by defeating his nearest rival Master Tassaduq Hussain of the PDP by about 330 votes. Here BJP's Vibodh Gupta and NC's Aslam Khan finished third and fourth, respectively. Rashpal Singh of the NC defeated his nearest rival and Congress rebel Ashok Sharma by a margin of more than 11,000 votes. In Darhal Assembly segment, Zulfikar Choudhary of the PDP defeated his nearest rival and Congress rebel Iqbal Malilk by a margin of about 45,00 votes. |
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Sikhs with kirpans denied entry into counting centres
Jammu, December 28 Despite having the entry passes issued by the Election Commission, the security personnel deployed outside the counting centre refused to permit even the Amritdhari Sikh mediapersons to enter the counting centres. “They simply refused our entry saying that we cannot go inside the counting centre wearing a kirpan,” a Sikh reporter of a regional daily said. "They asked me that I could not enter as I was wearing a kirpan and they have been instructed not to allow anybody with a weapon to enter the counting centre," Kirpal singh, a BJP supporter, said. When the agitated Sikh reporters, candidates and party agents spoke to Jammu Divisional Commissioner Sudhanshu Panday he asked them to contact the Deputy Commissioner. Deputy Commissioner Mandeep Bhandari said the police and other security agencies were looking after the security aspect. The police officer concerned refused to divulge as who had passed such instructions but said for providing better security, he had to take such stringent measures. However, the move of the Security Department of not allowing the kirpan-wearing Sikh reporters and candidates to enter the counting centre has created a strong resentment among the Sikhs in the region. |
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1,300 appear for UGC examination
Srinagar, December 28 Among 1,428 candidates who had enrolled for the NET examination for this session, 1,300 candidates took part in the examinations here today,” Prof Mushtaq Kaw, NET Coordinator Social Sciences, University of Kashmir, said. Expressing happiness over a good response from the candidates, Prof Kaw said participation of more than 90 per cent aspirants was encouraging. Besides, holding examination for various social science subjects, exams were also held for science subjects like computer sciences, environmental sciences and electronics. The NET examination for other science subjects was conducted on December 21 with the same being held under the aegis of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research [CSIR]. “Examination for social science subjects is conducted by the UGC while as the CSIR conducts the examination for science subjects,” Prof Kaw said. The NET examinations are conducted twice a year in June and December. The examination is conducted across the country on specific dates. |
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Vohra greets Ladakhis
Jammu, December 28 In his message, the Governor said the festival of Losar had a historical significance for the people of Ladakh and symbolises their well-established traditions of love, tolerance and communal harmony, which they had cherished over the centuries. He wished the festival to bring happiness in the lives of people and provide them an opportunity to strengthen their relations with their near and dear ones. |
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3 women elected
Srinagar, December 28 However, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti had won from Pahalgam in 2002, but resigned after her election to Parliament. Later, her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed represented the Pahalgam seat in the dissolved house. This time, besides Mehbooba Mufti, who was elected from Wachi constituency, Shamima Firdous and Sakina Itoo got elected from Habba Kadal and Noorabad constituencies, respectively on the NC ticket. This is for the first time that three women had won from Kashmir.
— UNI |
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