Srinagar, May 16
With its victory in all three LS constituencies in the Kashmir valley, the ruling NC-Congress coalition has reaffirmed its mandate within six months after the Assembly elections even as the PDP has given a tough fight to the NC candidates.

The NC today won the Sonwar Assembly seat where byelection were held after it fell vacant due to the election of NC president Farooq Abdullah to the Rajya Sabha. NC candidate Mohammad Yasin Shah defeated PDP candidate Mohammad Ashraf Mir by a slender margin of 50 votes

Farooq Abdullah, who got elected from the prestigious Srinagar constituency, contested the Lok Sabha elections for the first time after 1980 when he was elected unopposed.

Of the 15 Assembly seats in the constituency, his party represents 12 seats, while two others, Beerwah and Chadoora seats in Budgam district, is represented by the PDP, and Khansahib Assembly seat in Budgam district by the PDF.

All speculations over the south Kashmir constituency of Anantnag were put at rest with NC candidate Mehboob Beigh getting elected after a tough fight from the PDP. Of the 16 Assembly segments spread over four districts in the constituency the PDP represents 12 seats, while two others are represented by the Congress, and one each by the CPM and the NC.

Of the 15 Assembly segments comprising the north Kashmir constituency of Baramulla, the NC has a major share of seven, followed by five of the PDP, two Independents and one of the Congress.

While five of the six seats have gone to the ruling NC-Congress coalition, the Ladakh constituency has gone to Independent Hassan Khan, though the coalition parties had fielded P. Namgyal. Hassan, a former NC leader, was denied ticket due to seat sharing between the two parties.

The Congress was to contest three seats of Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh, while the NC was to contest Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag seats in the Kashmir valley.

The byelection for the Hazratbal Assembly seat has been rescheduled for May 30. 

Srinagar, May 16
Of the six parliamentary seats in the state five have gone to the ruling NC-Congress coalition, while the Ladakh seat has been won by an Independent candidate. Three seats of the Kashmir valley, Srinagar, Anantnag and Baramulla, have gone to the NC, while two seats of Jammu and Udhampur have gone to the Congress. An Independent, Hassan Khan, has won the Ladakh seat.

The final result of the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency was awaited till the last reports came in, though Mehboob Beigh of the NC has won it by a margin of over 4,700 votes.

In the Baramulla parliamentary constituency, NC candidate Sharif-ud-Din Shariq defeated his nearest PDP rival Mohammad Dilawar Mir by a margin of 64,814 votes. While Shariq polled 2,03,022 votes, Mir polled 1,38, 208 votes, out of the 4,41,234 votes polled. Among other candidates, Sajjad Gani Lone, JKPC, polled 65,403 votes and finished third.

In the Srinagar parliamentary constituency, NC candidate Farooq Abdullah defeated his nearest PDP rival Iftikhar Hussain Ansari by a margin of 30,242. While Abdullah polled 1,47,035 votes, Ansari polled 1,16,793 votes, out of the 2,82,761 votes polled.

Among others, Independent candidate Mohammad Alyas Kumhar, who polled 4,540 votes and finished third, followed by Khalida Begum of the ANC 2,855 votes.

In the Ladakh seat, Independent candidate Hassan Khan defeated his nearest rival Phunsog Namgyal of the Congress by a margin of 3,684. While Hassan polled 32,701 votes, Namgyal polled 29,017 votes, out of the 1,09,716 votes polled. Agar Ali Karbalie, an Independent, polled 24,498 votes, while another Independent candidate Thinless Angmo polled 22,717 votes.

In the Udhampur parliamentary constituency, Congress candidate Lal Singh defeated BJP’s Nirmal Singh by a margin of 13,394. While Lal Singh polled 2,31,853 votes, Nirmal Singh polled 2,18,459 votes, out of the total 6,11,886 votes polled. Prof Bhim Singh of the Panthers Party, who polled 69,463 votes, finished third, followed by Balbir Singh of the PDP with 30,294 votes.

In the Jammu parliamentary seat, Congress candidate Madan Lal defeated BJP’s Leela Karan Sharma by 1,21,373 votes. While Madan Lal polled 3,82,305 votes, Leela Karan polled 2,60,932 votes, out of the total 8,44,381 votes polled. PDP’s S. Tirlok Singh polled 93,730 votes, while Hussain Ali of the BSP polled 49,988 votes.

Meanwhile, Congress candidate Mohammad Sharief Niaz won the Bhaderwah Assembly byelection with a thin margin today. Niaz is a cousin of former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. He won by a thin margin of 2,247 votes against his nearest rival Dilip Parihar of the BJP.

The NC today won the Sonwar Assembly seat where byelection were held after it fell vacant due to the election of NC president Farooq Abdullah to the Rajya Sabha. NC candidate Mohammad Yasin Shah defeated PDP candidate Mohammad Ashraf Mir by a slender margin of 50 votes.

Jammu, May 16
Congress candidate Mohammad Sharief Niaz won the Bhaderwah Assembly byelection with a thin margin today. Niaz is a cousin of former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Niaz reportedly broke down at the declaration of the result, as he himself was not expecting to win. He won by a thin margin of 2,247 votes against his nearest rival Dilip Parihar of the BJP. Just five months ago, the Congress represented by Ghulam Nabi Azad had won the seat by a margin of 29,436 votes.

The Congress had won the seat in the last three elections. This time Niaz was not only pitched against strong candidates of other parties but also his own party leaders, workers and a number of close relatives worked against him.

Niaz could not control his emotions while talking to The Tribune over the phone. “I was not expecting a win. All forces were against me. I have complained to Rahul Gandhi against party workers and leaders that campaigned against me. There were 15 agencies working for my defeat,” he claimed.

He said the victory was due to several development schemes brought in Bhaderwah by Ghulam Nabi Azad.

This communally-sensitive Assembly saw a bitter contest with the BJP roping in Ghulam Ali, brother of Ghulam Nabi Azad, to campaign for the BJP candidate. Ghulam Ali raised a storm by supporting the Babri Masjid demolition in his speeches.

Niaz polled 21,966 votes, while Dilip Parihar got 19,319 votes. Mujeeb Ali of the PDP was a distant third with 7,196 votes.

Jammu, May16
If the Congress office at Shahidi Chowk in Jammu saw frenzied celebration for winning both Lok Sabha seats for Jammu-Poonch and Doda-Udhampur, the BJP office at Kachi Chawni wore a somber look over the debacle.

Just two hours after when the picture of the Congress taking the lead, and the BJP of trailing behind was shaping up, the impact could be felt at both party offices.

Congress spokesperson Ravinder Singh was conspicuous by his absence on this day, when media needed him the most. State vice-president Dharam Pal Sharma too remained absent for being unwell. The rein was in hands of elderly state leader Gurmukh Singh, who received the visitors with sweets and tea.

Gurmukh Singh taking jibe at the BJP remarked: “The BJP lost in the state because of its divisive politics. They did not have any agenda, whereas both sitting Congress MPs won in Jammu for their developmental work.”

Madan Lal Sharma, Congress candidate and sitting MP, who won from the Jammu-Poonch seat, came with a big procession of party men and supporters, amidst dhol beating and firecrackers, to party office and thanked the public for lending him support for the second time. “Besides my development work, the people have also welcomed our partnership with the NC with open arms,” he said.

Lal Singh, Congress candidate and sitting MP who won from the Doda-Udhampur seat, too came to the party office in his trademark style of crisp white kurta-pyjama, and greeted people warmly, who also gathered from nearby shops. The road got completely jammed for half an hour.

The BJP office at Kachi Chawani was upbeat in the morning with senior state leaders such as state BJP president Ashok Khajuria, general secretary Shamsher Singh, treasurer Sant Sharma and MLAs Ch Sukhnnanadan and Ch Sham, who sat glued to TV sets for the poll results.

By afternoon, when the BJP’s downfall in the state got evident, they all disappeared and did not even return in the evening.

Before leaving, Khajuria said: “We have not been able to send across our message clear to the public and this is why we have lost in the state.”

An eerie silence pervaded at the residence of BJP candidate for the Udhampur-Doda seat Dr Nirmal Singh. His victory was considered to be sure in face of autocratic style of his opponent and sitting Congress MP Lal Singh.

Bali Bhagat, in-charge of the parliamentary constituency, who was sitting at his home said: “The luck has always played hoodwink with Dr Nirmal Singh as fourth time he lost the election with a narrow margin despite his clean image.” Few close-friends and supporters were seen visiting his house.

Leela Karan Sharma, BJP’s candidate for the Jammu-Poonch seat and the leader who led the Amarnath land agitation, remained inaccessible throughout the day.

Jammu, May 16
The poll promise of the BJP of scrapping Article 370, which provides the special status to Jammu and Kashmir, if voted to power did not have the desired results with the Congress-NC combine wresting both parliamentary seats in the Jammu division.

Congress candidates Lal Singh (Jammu-Poonch) and Madan Lal Sharma (Udhampour-Doda) retained their seats by comfortable margins. The Congress fought the elections on the development plank and the support of the NC.

The Rahul-Omar friendship card, displayed in elections rallies addressed by both leaders, also seemed to have attracted votes in the favour of the combine.

Madan Lal Sharma won by a handsome margin of 41,534 votes against his nearest rival Leela Karan Sharma of the BJP. Madan Lal polled 3,02,092 votes against 2,60, 568 votes by Leela Karan Sharma. Former Rajya Sabha member and PDP candidate Tirlok Singh Bajwa got 93,710 votes, while BSP candidate Wafa Hussain secured 49,979 votes.

The BJP’s hope of garnering votes in the name of the Amarnath land agitation by fielding Leela Karan Sharma proved counter-productive. Just five months ago, the party won 11 Assembly seats.

In the Udhampur-Doda seat, Lal Singh romped home for the second consecutive time defeating BJP leader Nirmal Singh by a margin of 20,394 votes.

Nirmal Singh had lost elections from the Udhampur-Doda seat on two previous occasions. Nirmal Singh also lost the Assembly elections despite the Amarnath land agitation, but still the BJP fielded him.

Nirmal Singh faced a revolt from party leaders with five of the eleven MLAs openly working against him.

Out of the total 6,11,886 votes polled, Lal Singh secured 2,38,853 votes, while Nirmal Singh got 2,18,459 votes. Panthers Party supremo Prof Bhim Singh stood third polling 69,463 votes, followed by Thakur Balbir Singh of the PDP who got 30,294 votes. BSP candidate Rakesh Wazir got only 21,45 votes. 

Jammu/Chandigarh, May 16
There were early signs of the Amarnath land row loosing its sheen in Jammu and Udhampur parliamentary polls. Though people saw it, they preferred to respond only when the two segments went to the polls on April 16 and 23.

As a result, the agitation that brought 11 seats to the BJP in the Assembly elections in 2008, the party lost both parliamentary seats five months later.

The message is clear - voters in the Jammu division rejected the BJP because it chose to exploit their religious sentiments by fielding Leela Karan Sharma, convener of the Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti, from the Jammu seat.

This is because Leela Karan had during the Amarnath land row declared the samiti led by him was completely apolitical and no leader had any political ambitions.

However, as soon as Leela Karan jumped into the poll arena he lost supporters with each passing day. While the leaders of the samiti distanced themselves from him immediately, the BJP leaders and the RSS along with party workers left him gradually. So much so that during the last days of campaigning he was often seen campaigning alone more often than not.

Narinder Singh, spokesman for the samiti, said though it was for the political parties to introspect why they won or lost the elections, public had given a clear message that a leader who claimed he was “apolitical” should refrain from elections.

Leela Karan could poll 2, 60, 568 votes where as the BJP had got 3,02,426 votes in 2004 when it lost the elections. Clearly, the vote bank of the party has moved to the Congress this time. Congress candidate Madan Lal got 3,82,092 votes, whereas the Congress had got 3,19,994 in the last elections.

Madan lal has on the other hand rubbed in the point saying “his victory means the people of the region do not vote on religious and sentiments basis, and they vote for development and stability”.

In Udhampur too, the land row has had not impact in helping the BJP gain its position. In fact, Udhampur-Doda, which is a large parliamentary segment, did not see the presence of the BJP in many areas.

This Lok Sabha seat starts from Keerian-Gandyal next to Lakhanpur border with Punjab in Kathua district and goes all the way north till Kishtwar that adjoins Anantnag district in the the Kashmir valley. In many areas like Kistwar and Doda that have huge Muslim populations, the BJP did not even have much presence.

For this seat too, the BJP mainly relied on lower areas of the Jammu division. But despite a good candidate in Nirmal Singh, who though was contesting not a very popular Lal Singh of the Congress, the latter won. Incidentally, Lal Singh was fifth in his home constituency of Kathua in the Assembly elections.

Srinagar, May 16
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said today that the UPA’s victory in Lok Sabha elections would work as a catalyst for the implementation of his government’s developmental agenda and speed up the state’s return to normalcy.

Speaking soon after it became clear that the NC-Congress coalition would get a decisive mandate, Omar said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had shown an “emotional attachment” with Kashmir and his return to the top job would be of great help to the state.

“The Prime Minister often expressed his desire to develop Jammu and Kashmir as a model state during his several interactions with me,” he said in an interaction with media.

The NC-Congress alliance has won five of the six Lok Sabha seats while the only other seat went to a NC rebel in Ladakh. Speaking on his pet issue of a “truth and reconciliation commission” for healing the scars of masses affected in security forces’ fight with militancy, he said the government could make an attempt in this regard in the state.

Asked to comment on Sajad Lone, once a separatist and who fought the elections from Baramulla but lost, entering the mainstream politics, Omar said it was a positive development. He added that Lone had been putting up proxy candidates in the past. 

“He got his timing wrong and will pay a heavy political price for his loss,” he said. Saljad should have fought the Assembly elections and he could have won a few seats, he said.

Jammu, May 16
More than 600 officials were busy counting ballots for the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary constituency, which is the biggest constituency in the state.

The counting took place at MAM College and Government Polytechnic College in Jammu, where hundreds of supporters of different political parties anxiously waited for the results.

The Jammu-Poonch constituency that went to the polls in the first phase on April 16 was one of the keenly observed constituencies.

All arrangements were in place for the smooth counting in the college, where the media and party supporters had lined up to see the results.

Though except the authorised agents of the candidates nobody was allowed inside the counting halls, people and mediapersons were being briefed outside at the media centre established by the state Information Department.

Though the counting started after 8 am, the supporters and agents of the candidates started gathering outside the counting centres to know the fate of their candidates from early morning. The results were declared after 20 rounds of counting of all polling stations of the 20 Assembly segments of the constituency.

The media centre kept people updated with the latest trends and the results. The Information Department had made arrangements and a big display with internet connection was kept in place for the purpose.

The counting of votes took place amid elaborate security arrangements to avoid any untoward incident. The candidates also visited the counting centres and after witnessing the trend many of them left unnoticed.

Srinagar/Jammu/Chandigarh, May 16
The NC-Congress alliance swept the Lok Sabha elections today, defeating the BJP candidates in the Jammu division and serious PDP contenders in the Kashmir valley. While the people of Leh rejected all national and regional parties and elected an Independent candidate to represent them.

The Tribune spoke to a cross-section of political commentators to understand how the electorate voted and its implications on state and national politics.

The results indicate a clear shift in voting patterns from the Assembly elections where the PDP emerged as the largest party in the Kashmir valley and the BJP in the Jammu division, but did not win a single seat in the LS poll. But veteran journalist Balraj Puri differs and says “the results are on the expected lines where people prefer national parties for national politics and regional parties for the state.” He sees this as a healthy sign for national politics.

According to Puri, “People of Kashmir do not perceive a direct stake in national parties, so a low voter turnout in the LS election should not be seen as a vote against India or high polling as a vote for India.” He sees the post-election mood has prepared a fresh ground for a dialogue for the resolution of the Kashmir tangle.

Dr Noor Ahmad Baba, professor of political science, Kashmir university, says “the results reaffirms a mandate for the coalition parties. It strengthens the NC in Kashmir.

It is an opportunity which if the NC-Congress government exploit can bring tremendous benefits in terms of development”. Noted political commentator and author of “2004 Elections in Jammu and Kashmir” Prof Rekha Choudhary says, “After the Left parties had withdrawn support from the UPA last year, the position of the government was shaky.

Now, we can hope the government will resume the peace process that had come to a stand still,” she said.

Describing the results as “a healthy sign for the state”, Dr Gul Mohammad, associate Professor, Kashmir University, said, “Democracy appears to have matured because people weighed all aspects like the choice of candidates; implication of a coalition in national politics and governance.” “The NC candidate in Baramula has a popular base across north Kashmir, and in Anantnag its candidate had support at the grass-roots level and that also helped the NC.”

(With inputs from Ehsan Fazili in Srinagar and Ashutosh Sharma in Jammu)

Srinagar, May 16
The much-hyped decision of former separatist Sajjad Lone to fight the parliamentary elections has ended in disappointment for the young leader as he came a distant third in the Baramulla constituency.

Though the Election Commission had not come out yet with the final tally of votes, sources said Sajjad received a little around 65,400 votes. NC candidate Sharif-ud-Din Shariq emerged victorious with over 2 lakh votes, while PDP’s Dilawar Mir bagged over 1.38 lakh votes, leaving Sajjad far behind.

Even as nobody was betting on his victory, the margin of his defeat has surprised many as he generated palpable enthusiasm among crowds during his campaign.

His humbling loss at the hustings is noteworthy for the fact that he was among a few secessionist politicians who could claim to have some mass base.

“When you go to people asking for votes, they see if you could make roads and schools for them. And they chose me due to my past record and the sincerity of our government,” Shariq said.

Though Sajad could not be reached for comments today, he has already said he would continue to slug it out in the electoral politics and would not return to the “politics of boycott”. “My party’s (Peoples Conference) base has increased manifold since my decision to fight elections. Whatever be the decision, I will champion the cause of Kashmir through the electoral politics,” he had said.

Jammu, May 16
Radio Kashmir, Jammu, today played a leading role in disseminating election-related information, including latest trends, leads and results, to people, particularly living in the far-off and hilly areas.

As many as 25 news bulletins were broadcast during the day in Hindi, Dogri, Gojri and English at regular intervals. The news bulletins were also broadcast from Kathua, Rajouri, Nowshera, Poonch and Bhaderwah stations of the All India Radio.

K.Raina, in charge, Regional News Unit (RUN) of Radio Kashmir, claimed that it was for the first time in the history of radio broadcasting in Jammu that such a vast coverage was provided to the Lok Sabha elections in the region.

He said apart from news bulletins the RNU had also deputed its correspondents at all counting centres for the Lok Sabha seats. Some media experts and political leaders also participated in live phone-in programmes and discussions, which were also broadcast by the AIR, Delhi.

The Srinagar wing of Radio Kashmir also broadcast similar news bulletins and discussions in Urdu and Kashmiri, Raina added. 

Jammu, May 16
Despite being a working day, a majority of people in the state preferred to remain indoors and glued to their television sets today as the election results poured in.

As the trends and the results of the general elections started to pour in, a large number of people started gathering outside the places where television sets were showing the verdict of the people being unfolded.

“It is not only the fate of the politicians that will be declared today, but of the entire nation that unfurls. I have been watching the television to stay updated as who would rule us for a tenure of next five years,” Arun Mangotra, a local resident, said.

“All nearby shopkeepers asked me to place a big television set outside my shop so that they could watch the results of the general elections,” Arjun Kumar, a television dealer in the main Jammu city, said.

He said: “Since then a large number of people have gathered outside my shop to watch the news and the poll outcome.”

As the results started to pour in, the people started congratulating each other that the UPA was leading towards a clear majority and would form the government in the Centre.

“Today I took a leave from my office to watch news at my house. This is very important for us as how and who will govern the nation,” Anil Khajuria, a government employee, said.

“The results show that this is the victory of the people. Manmohan Singh as a Prime Minister had done a remarkable job so the people have rejected the religion and regional politics and voted for the people who actually can run the country and take the countrymen on the way to peace, stability and prosperity,” Hemat Singh of Nanak Nagar, Jammu, said.