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Wednesday,
September 4, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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162 left
in fray for first phase Defections change
equations PDP rules
out alliance, leaves Cong shaken Hurriyat
launches anti-poll campaign 2 more
militant outfits call for poll boycott Lones
survive |
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5 file
papers for second phase Ultras
warn I-card collectors BJP
legislator joins NC Army
man killed, villager hurt in firing
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162 left in fray for first phase Srinagar, September 3 Withdrawal of nomination papers was undertaken yesterday for the 26 Assembly constituencies in six districts, two each in Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu divisions. Polling in these districts, except for Leh district of Ladakh will be held on September 16 in the first phase of elections. Two independent candidates elected from Leh and Nobra constituencies in Leh district belong to the newly constituted Ladakh Union Territory Front, after all major political parties dissolved the units of their parent organisations. They are Mr Nawang Rigzin from Leh and Mr Sonam Wanghchuk Narboo from Nobra constituency in Ladakh division. The Deputy Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr B.S. Jamwal, said Baramula district with 10 segments had highest number of 59 candidates in the fray, followed by 47 in Kupwara district having five Assembly segments, 33 in Rajouri district with four segments, 17 in Poonch district with three constituencies and Six in Kargil district. The Rajouri constituency had the highest number of 14 candidates, followed by Baramula with 13 candidates in the fray. The Kargil constituency in Ladakh division had only two candidates. The district election officer, Rajouri, said 14 candidates who were in the fray from the Rajouri constituency are Mr Babu Ram, Mr Prem Nath Sharma, Mr Shafqat Wani, Mr Qazi Zaheer Abass, Mr Qammer Robani, Mr Gulzar Ahmed, Mohammad Maroof Khan, Mr Maqbool Hussian Azad, Mr Maqsood Ajaz Dar, (all Independents), Mr Qammer Hussain (Cong), Mr Kishori Lal (NPP), Mohammad Aslam (NC), Mr Manzoor Hussain (BSP) and Mr Yog Raj (BJP). From the Darhal constituency, nine candidates were in the fray. They were Mr Ahassain Ullah Parvaize Malik (Cong), Mr Puran Singh (Ind) and Mr Mushtaq Hussain (Ind), Mr Tasadiq Hussain (Ind), Mr Dev Raj Sharma (BJP), Mr Zulfikar Ali (Ind), Mr Zulfikar Hussain (BSP), Mr Abdul Khaliq (Ind), Mr Liaqat Ali (NC) and Mr Mushtaq Hassain (Ind). Five candidates each from Kalakote and Nowshera who were in the fray were Mr Ashok Kumar Sharma (Cong), Mr Bodh (BJP), Mr Bhan Singh (BSP), Mr RashPal Singh (NC), Mr Fallail Singh (Ind), Mr Radhay Sham Sharma (NC), Mr Romesh Chander (Cong), Mr Sushil Kumar (JMM), Mr Vishwainder Dev (Ind) and Mr Yash Paul (Ind), respectively. Meanwhile, Rs 2.33 crore had been placed at the disposal of 14 district electoral officers for disbursement against the identity cards. Out of this, Rs 21 lakh had been disbursed to the identity card holders in Udhampur district while Rs 9 lakh had been disbursed in Poonch district, Rs 6.60 lakh in Doda district and Rs 3.80 lakh in Rajouri district. An amount of Rs 15 each was being given to the holders of identity cards against the cost of two photographs meant for the card. |
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Defections
change equations Jammu, September 3 Not only sitting MLAs, but also some leaders chiefly belonging to the National Conference (NC) and the BJP have joined other parties. The defection of MLAs started soon after the Assembly elections were held in 1996. There were some defections before the Lok Sabha elections and the process has restarted now after the declaration of the Assembly elections. The process began with Shia leader Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari joining the Farooq ministry after having won the elections on Congress ticket from the Pattan constituency. He has, however, not joined the NC but has been expelled from the Congress. Thereafter, four of the five MLAs belonging to the Janata Dal started supporting the NC government. Mr Jagjivan Lal, who had won the Reasi seat on Janata Dal ticket, was earlier a minister in the Cabinet of Dr Farooq Abdullah. He was denied NC ticket in the 1996 elections. A BJP leader, who had called Mr Jagjivan Lal “Jai Chand” of politics, has himself defected to the NC. Mohammad Dillawar Mir crossed over to the NC after winning the elections from the Rafiabad constituency of Baramula district. The BJP, which was considered as a disciplined party, received the biggest setback when its sitting MLA, Mr Piara Singh, joined the NC. He accused the BJP of having failed to look after the interests of the Jats. Mr
R. S. Sharma, Congress MLA representing the Naushera constituency of Rajouri district, recently joined the NC after it gave him ticket. The defections have changed the composition of the 87-member Assembly which witnessed the death of four sitting members. Among those who died included P.L. Handoo, Maulana Attaullah Suirawardhy, and Bashir Ahmed Kichloo. Only yesterday, the BJP expelled Mr Prem Lal, MLA from Hiranagar, for anti-party activities. There were rumours that he was hobnobbing with the NC. He has, however, denied the reports. The demand for union territory status for Ladakh witnessed the resignation of the MLA from Nubra and a minister, Mr Tsetan Namgyal, who defied the orders of the NC to file his nomination papers against the common candidate of the Ladakh Union Territory Front which is spearheading the agitation. The resignation of Mr R.S. Chib, former NC minister, and his joining the BJP last week triggered protests against the move to give him ticket for the Suchetgarh constituency. |
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PDP rules out alliance, leaves Cong shaken Srinagar, September 3 “There is no question of an alliance with any political party in the state...We do not want to dilute the regional character of our party,’’ PDP chief Mufti Mohammad Sayeed told reporters here. He said the PDP would field candidates from only those constituencies where it was expected to perform well. “We will put up candidates only on those seats where we are confident of winning,’’ he said. The Congress had pinned hopes on an alliance with the PDP for giving a fight to the National Conference in many segments. The decision gave a boost to the NC as any alliance in the state would have made it difficult for the ruling party to win with an absolute majority. Asked if he would contest, the PDP leader said the party had to take a decision on it. Earlier, Mr Javed Mustafa Mir, son of a former MLA, joined the PDP. The PDP again urged the Election Commission (EC) to rein in surrendered militants, who allegedly had let loose a reign of terror against workers of Opposition parties during their campaign. “Hundreds of workers of the PDP and other political parties are being harassed by the surrendered militants during canvassing...We have written to the EC but no action has been taken so far,’’ PDP chief Mufti Mohammad Sayeed told reporters here. The PDP expressed disappointment over the arrangements made by the EC to ensure free and fair elections.
UNI |
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Hurriyat
launches anti-poll campaign Srinagar, September 3 “The so-called elections cannot be an alternative to the right of self-determination and the people should reject the
frivolous elections, aimed at the formation of a government, and remove all impediments in the way of the ongoing struggle for the cause of their future,” senior Hurriyat executive member Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari told a public meeting at Nabadnara in Budgam district. This was the first public meeting of the conglomerate of 23 separatist organisations in the recent past. Ansari asked the people to remain united and strong and thwart any attempt to weaken and malign the Hurriyat which he said was their representative body. Ansari said “Kashmir issue has attained importance at the international level and it is being viewed and discussed very seriously. As such people are duty-bound to foil attempts of those who betray the blood of martyrs.”
PTI |
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2 more militant outfits call for poll boycott Srinagar, September 3 “The people are advised to keep away from the Assembly elections. The active workers and members of the National Conference have already been warned,” the two outfits said in separate statements which appeared in local newspapers today. Describing the elections as a “farce”, the operational chief of Al-Badr, Mohammad Jamal warned people to keep away from election-training centres. Referring to the ongoing dialogue between Kashmiri separatists and the Kashmir Committee, Jamal said: “The Hurriyat Conference, Shabir Shah and other political parties who had been emulating one another to hold talks with the Kashmir Committee have now adopted a different attitude after being humiliated”. Two militant outfits the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashker-e-Toiba have already appealed to the people of the state not to participate in the polls.
PTI |
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Lones survive Jammu, September 3 The Hurriyat chairman, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, told TNS that “participation in the poll process amounts to the acceptance of state’s accession with India” which is not acceptable to the APHC. The conglomerate has dropped the suspension move on two considerations. First, the PC has pockets of influence in Kupwara and Baramulla districts. The assassination of its founder president, Abdul Gani Lone surged it. Going by the support to its candidates PC leaders may go slow on the anti-poll campaign. Of the 23 constituents of the APHC, it is only the Peoples’ Conference and the Awami Action Committee, headed by Molvi Umar Farooq, that have constituencies in the valley. Its another constituent the Jamait-e-Islami has pockets of influence throughout the Kashmir valley. |
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5 file papers for second phase Srinagar, September 3 Mr Shah and four others filed their nominations from Srinagar and Badgam districts, taking the total number of nominations from the two districts so far to 10, they said. An NC leader, Mr Shah was seeking re-election from the Batmaloo constituency, the sources said. Another NC leader, Mr Sadiq Ali, filed his nomination from the Zadibal constituency, they said. The remaining three candidates—Mr Qazi Afzal, Mr Ghulam Mohammad Dar and Mr Syed Abdul Rashid—who filed their nominations today belonged to the People’s Democratic Party. Mr Afzal filed his papers from Ganderbal, Mr Dar from Kangan and Mr Rashid from Chadoora.
PTI |
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Ultras warn I-card collectors Jammu, September 3 Coded messages between two militants of the Jaish-e-Mohammad have
revealed that the ultras plan to disrupt the Assembly elections in the
state, a spokesman for the Northern Command Headquarters at Udhampur
told PTI today. A message said: “We have already told people
through posters not to collect the voter ID cards. So wherever you get
an opportunity, you must search people and if they are in possession
of such cards snatch them and also threaten them.” PTI |
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BJP legislator joins NC Jammu, September 3 His admission to the ruling National Conference was announced by the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, at a rally in
Hiranagar, from where Mr Prem Lal had been elected to the Assembly in 1996. Dr Abdullah, while welcoming the BJP MLA, said that “he had not wooed Mr Prem Lal to the NC but he had joined on his own.” He said Mr Piara Singh, another BJP MLA, had joined the NC 10 days ago. Mr Prem Lal had indicated a week ago his plan of joining the National Conference. When he held two senior party leaders responsible for his humiliation he had closed the option of the BJP high command of fielding him from
Hiranagar. The BJP unit in the state expelled him two days ago on a charge of anti-party activity. |
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Army man killed, villager hurt in firing Srinagar, September 3 Indian troops retaliated and the exchange of firing and shelling continued throughout the night triggering panic among some villagers in the Drass sector of Kargil district who fled their homes and returned only after the firing stopped today morning. Naik Nevi Singh was killed in Pakistani firing in the Machil sector of Kupwara district in north Kashmir yesterday night. A villager sustained bullet injuries in Mankot village in the Mendhar sector and was shifted to a district hospital in Poonch. Quoting intelligence reports, the sources said groups of militants had been spotted across the border near the Drass sector and the shelling was to give them a cover-up to infiltrate into the state to disrupt the Assembly poll. However, they said troops were on alert and had intensified patrolling to foil any attempt by militants to sneak into the region. Intermittent exchange of small arms firing also took place at several places along the International border in Jammu and Kathua districts. Meanwhile, two Pakistani soldiers were killed when the troops exchanged fire in the Machil sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Official sources said Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked mortar and artillery shelling in Machil sector in north of Kashmir last evening,
targeting security force installations and civilian areas. Reports of heavy exchange of shelling between Indian and Pakistani troops were also received from
Drass, Kargil, Keran and Karnah sectors yesterday.
PTI, UNI |
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Bank looted at Sopore Srinagar, September 3 Three unidentified gunmen entered the bank and looted Rs 1,13,766 at gun point, sources said. The gunmen while fleeing opened fire causing injuries to Abdul Samad, a customer, who was hospitalised.
UNI |
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