J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

NC not to back Cong-led govt at Centre
Jammu, May 14
The National Conference has decided not to support the Sonia Gandhi-led government at the Centre, as it would be “impossible” for its leaders to sit with the PDP of Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed. Mr Omar Abdullah, president of the NC, stated this to The Tribune over the telephone from Srinagar. The NC has won two of the six Lok Sabha seats in J&K.

A soldier talks on a wireless radio to know the status of a convoy after the Srinagar-Leh highway was opened in Captain Morh, 105 km east of Srinagar on Thursday. The 440-km highway was opened by the Indian Army for traffic after it remained snowbound at Zoji La, 3,530 m above sea level, for more than six months. — Reuters

Mehbooba to speed up peace process
Jammu, May 14
Winner of Lok Sabha election from Anantnag in Kashmir, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, president of the PDP, would strive for expediting peace process with Pakistan and improving financial health of the state.

Results of J&K LS poll
Jammu, May 14
The following are the detailed results of the six Lok Sabha seats of Jammu and Kashmir. Two seats each have been won by the Congress and the National Conference, one by the PDP and one by the Ladakh Union Territory Front.

NC not to back Cong-led govt at Centre
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 14
The National Conference (NC) has decided not to support the Sonia Gandhi-led government at the Centre, as it would be “impossible” for its leaders to sit with the PDP of Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed.

Mr Omar Abdullah, president of the NC, stated this to The Tribune over the telephone from Srinagar. The NC has won two of the six Lok Sabha seats in J&K.

For the first time Mr Omar Abdullah and Ms Mehbooba Mufti, president of the PDP, who otherwise arch enemies in Kashmir will sit in the Lok Sabha.

Mr Abdullah said that the NC would support the government on specific issues, including welfare of the people of Kashmir, dialogue on Kashmir by involving both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, peace initiative with Pakistan and reopening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad (PoK) road.

When the Centre’s measures are not in the interest of the people of J&K, we will oppose these.

He said that the NC would continue to sit in the Opposition as it would not be possible for us to play the double role of supporting the Congress-led government at the Centre and opposing the Congress-backed PDP-led coalition in the state.

Mr Omar Abdullah, who goes to the Lok Sabha for a third term, hoped that Mrs Sonia Gandhi, who had been talking of widening the scope of dialogue with the separatists, would invite both factions of the Hurriyat Conference for an unconditional dialogue after becoming the Prime Minister.

He said that Ms Mufti has lost her voice and identity after winning the Lok Sabha election, as she would have to toe the line of the government in the house and abide by the whip of the Congress. The PDP is now being considered a part of the Congress and not an independent party.

“It is a tragedy of the people of Anantnag and Pulwama districts of Kashmir whom Ms Mufti represents that she would not be in a position to raise their voice in the Lok Sabha”. Steps would be taken to review why the NC could not make a dent in the South Kashmir, he said.

Mehbooba to speed up peace process
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 14
Winner of Lok Sabha election from Anantnag in Kashmir, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, president of the PDP, would strive for expediting peace process with Pakistan and improving financial health of the state.

Ms Mufti, talking to The Tribune over the telephone from Srinagar, wanted the government led by Mrs Sonia Gandhi at the Centre would expedite the peace process so that the people of Kashmir progressed.

Peace has to return to the state. So much of militancy-related violence was witnessed during Lok Sabha elections. The problem should be addressed without delay so that there was further violence.

She said that till now she was raising the voice of the people in the Assembly, but now she had the opportunity of highlighting the problems from a bigger platform.

Unlike other states of the country, Kashmir has some historical problems that need to be solved soon.

Ms Mufti said that she would also strive to improve the financial health of J&K and urge the Centre to take steps for putting back on rails the economy of the state that suffered a severe setback because of militancy.

She said that she would also raise the voice for reviewing the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan that has become a hurdle in the way of tapping the water of the rivers for power generation and irrigation purposes.

She congratulated the electorate of Jammu who refused to fall into the trap of the BJP that tried to exploit the Daughters’ Bill in campaign. The people have rejected the BJP as they wanted to maintain identity through the Permanent Residents Bill passed in the Assembly.

Results of J&K LS poll
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 14
The following are the detailed results of the six Lok Sabha seats of Jammu and Kashmir. Two seats each have been won by the Congress and the National Conference, one by the PDP and one by the Ladakh Union Territory Front (LUTF).

Baramula

Total votes: 940998

Poll percentage: 35.58 Abdul Rashid Shaheen (JKN): 127653 Nizam-Uddin Bhat (JKPDP): 117758 Ghulam Rasool Kar (INC): 62316 Mir Khursheed Abbasi (IND): 10569 Mohmad Akbar (BJP): 9003 Syed Mohd Rafiq Shah (JKNPP): 7471.

Srinagar

Total votes: 1053733

Poll percentage: 18.57

Omar Abdullah (JKN): 98422 Advocate Ghulam Nabi Lone (JKPDP): 75263 Nazir Ahmad Khan (IND): 6873 Iftikhar Sadiq (BJP): 3154 Mushtaq Shamim (IND): 2549 Peer Ali Shah (JKAL): 1519 Krishan Kumar (IND): 1327 Bansi Lal (BSP): 1282 Darakshan Andrabi (SDP): 1265 Abdul Rashid Lone (IND): 1148 Bashir Ahmad (JKNPP): 1084 Mehbooba (IND): 956 Mohmad Yousuf Wani (AIFB): 836.

Anantnag

Total votes: 998905

Poll percentage: 15.04

Mehbooba Mufti (JKPDP): 74436 Dr Mehboob Beg (JKN): 35498 Mohamad Yusuf Tarigami (CPM): 18466 Sofi Mohd Yousuf (BJP): 4836 Imtiyaz Ahmad Rather (IND): 2827 AB Majeed Naikoo (IND): 2760 Mohd Maqbool Dar (IND): 2691 Sanjay Saraf (LJNSP): 1595 Gh. Rasool (IND): 1586 Hamidullah Wani (AIFB): 1504 Gh. Mohi-ud-din Dar (IND): 1278 Mohd Yousuf Qurashi (RLD): 1115 Gh. Mohd Tantary (SAP): 864 Ramesh Kumar Bhatt (IND): 763.

Ladakh

Total votes: 175768

Poll percentage: 73.27

Thupstan Chhewang (IND): 66709 Hassan Khan (JKN): 41120 Wazir Mohd Ali (IND): 18117 Sonam Palzor (BJP): 2848.

Udhampur

Total votes: 1348721

Poll percentage: 45.09

Ch Lal Singh (INC): 240872 Prof Chaman Lal Gupta (BJP): 193697 Khalid Najib Suharwardy (JKN): 69971 Prof Bhim Singh (JKNPP): 49869 JiaLal Verma (BSP): 18974 Amar Nath (IJP): 5031 Ranbir Singh (IND): 3968 Kuldeep Kumar (SJP(R)): 3288
Jatinder Singh (IND): 3288 Puran Chand (RPI): 2579 Suram Chand (IND): 2349 Kesari Shashi Kumar (IND): 2179 Bashir Ahmed Sheikh (SAP): 2122 Dev Raj (IND): 1858 Rajinder Kumar (IND): 1620 Sudesh Kumar Sharma (IND): Surjit Singh "G" Sitara (SPI): 1391 Kaloo Chowdhry (AIFB): 1371 Surinder Singh (SP): 1222 Sanju Gupta (IND): 926.

Jammu

Total votes: 1851838

Poll percentage: 44.37

Madan Lal Sharma (INC): 319994 Dr Nirmal Singh (BJP): 302426 Surjit Singh Slathia (JKN): 120397 Tirath Kumar (BSP): 29498 S. Kuldeep Singh (JKNPP): 9195 Pankaj Kohli (SP): 4661 Shahzad Khan (IND): 3803 Ramesh Chander Sharma (IND): 3315 Sharaz Ahmad (IND): 2956 Yudhvir Singh (IND): 2300 Balbir Singh (IND): 2060 Om Parkash Malhotra (IND): 1902 Rajan Padri (AIFB): 1746 Charanjit Singh Bali (IND): 1707 Satish Poonchi (IND): 1656 Subhash Chander Langer (SPI): 1650 Sudeshi Puri (SAP): 1620 Qari Zahir Abbas Bhatti (JD(S)) 1616 Mushtaq Ahmed (IND): 1491 Sanjeev Kumar Manmotra (LJNSP): 1485 Subash Sharma (IND): 1298 Ch Mohd Iqbal (IND): 1193 Gurdeep Singh Bijral (IND): 1039 Jasbir Singh (IND): 1010 Lochan Singh (IND): 871 Shukeel Kumar Gupta (IND): 781.