In south Kashmir’s Dooru, it’s a high-stakes battle for Congress

This week, when first phase of polling takes place for Assembly election in the Valley, the Congress leadership would keenly be watching the Dooru seat of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Among the 10 contesting candidates is All-India Congress Committee’s general secretary and former president of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee Ghulam Ahmad Mir.

Mir, a two-time former legislator from Dooru seat, is part of National Conference and Congress’ pre-poll alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.

How important is the Dooru seat for the party can be gauged from the fact that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi started the poll campaign from Dooru with a rally.

Days later in Anantnag district, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced five guarantees for the people of the Union Territory -– including Rs 3,000 per month for women heads of households and 11 kg grains per family member – if the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance is voted to power. The seat is part of Anantnag district which comprises seven Assembly constituencies — Dooru, Kokernag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigufwara- Bijbehara, Shangus- Anantnag East and Pahalgam. The district has an electorate of 6.67 lakh, as per the election officials.

At Dooru, with only a few days left for polling, candidates are making last pitches to attract voters. Mir said the party is promising that it would work towards restoration of statehood, with rights for land and jobs.

Ghulam Ahmad Mir said in Dooru, like other constituencies, inflation, rising unemployment and electricity charges are among the issues.

Mir is also talking about local issues. A road connecting Anantnag-Doda has been in limbo for several years and also the tourism sector, which he says, needs to be expanded. “We had approved a cable car project under PPP mode. Under the PDP government, the project was shifted from Verinag to Pahalgam,” he said, adding that work is needed in the health sector and also there is a need for a nursing college for students, who otherwise go to Punjab.

Mohamad Saleem Parray, who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election as Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) candidate from Anantnag Rajouri constituency is now contesting from Dooru seat.

He said 10 candidates are in the fray in the constituency. In the delimitation, 40,000 votes got added and it would play a crucial role on voting day. Dooru has a total of 1,16,749 voters. Saleem says there are mainly three competitors for the seat — Congress, People’s Democratic Party and Democratic Progressive Azad Party. “It is going to be an interesting contest and won’t be one-sided,” he said.

Saleem said among the all candidates, it is a high-stakes battle for the Congress. “If they don’t win it, it is not a loss for Mir sahib, but for the Congress…It is more important than the Ganderbal seat, where Omar Abdullah is contesting,” he said.

In May, when the parliamentary election was held, Mian Altaf, who was the candidate of the NC and Congress alliance, secured nearly 30,000 votes as against Mufti’s 9,802 and Parray’s 4,279 from Dooru Assembly seat. However, it is to be seen if the NC votes this time will transfer to the Congress candidate.

There are others in the fray. Mohammad Iqbal Ahangar, former president of Municipal Committee Verinag who is now contesting as an Independent, is one among them. “My focus is on the creation of infrastructure, boosting the education sector and providing education to OBCs and those below the poverty line,” he said.