Srinagar:

Political parties vying for the Anantnag-Rajouli assembly seat in Jammu and Kashmir are grappling with the realities of the new electoral map. Delimitation radically redraws electoral boundaries and ignores issues of geographical continuity.

The majestic Pir Panjal hill bisects Anantnag constituency, pushing Rajouri and Poonch to the other side. In between is the Shopian district, which has become part of the Srinagar Parliament seat. It is a huge challenge for political parties and candidates to travel from one part of the constituency to another to campaign.

A Mughal-era road connecting Shopian and Poonch was partially opened yesterday after being closed during the long winter. But road closures are rarely needed – even a brief drizzle is enough. The roads will be open for limited hours regardless of weather conditions.

Therefore, candidates have to travel over 500 kilometers from Jammu to reach other constituencies in Rajouri, Poonch.

“People will face difficulties. In such a divided constituency, where will they find their MP? First one has to reach Jammu and then Rajouri. Delimitation has overturned J&K and South Kashmir has been worst hit,” senior MP Sakina Itoo said. National Conference Leaders.

Even before campaigning in Anantnag begins, high-profile candidate Ghulam Nabi Azad has indicated that he may withdraw from the race, his first hint of popularity after quitting the Congress party test. A week ago, his party announced Anantnag-Rajouri as its candidate. Azad said he had not yet made a final decision.

The Indian bloc broke down in the Anantnag constituency, with the People’s Democratic Party demanding that its president Mehbooba Mufti be given the constituency. The National Conference, led by Omar Abdullah, has refused to vacate the seat, so it will be a tough choice for Congress to decide who to support.

On Monday, the Congress party announced that it would cooperate with the National Conference, leaving Mehbooba Mufti alone. Her People’s Democratic Party has been in tatters since Article 370 of the constitution, which gave Jammu and Kashmir special status, was abrogated.

Ms Mufti said her party had been a major target of the BJP government.

“The People’s Democratic Party has been the main target since 2019. Our party has collapsed, our leaders have been poached and so on,” said Ms Mufti, who is contesting from the Anantnag-Rajori seat.

The constituency is spread over four constituencies and has more than 1.7 million voters from various ethnic backgrounds.

The National Conference has fielded popular Gujjar leader Mian Altaf Ahmad as both sides in Pir Panjal have considerable Gujjar votes. The party also plans to share seats with the Congress as credentials for becoming a genuine anti-BJP force in Kashmir, with each party accusing its rivals of being the BJP’s “B-team”.

After announcing the seat allocation plan, Omar Abdullah claimed that the NC-Congress alliance would win all six seats in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

In 2019, NC won three seats in the Valley and the remaining three seats were occupied by the BJP.

“We will work together to win all six seats in the Indian Union from J&K and Ladakh and represent the aspirations of the people in the Parliament,” Mr Abdullah said.

The BJP is yet to decide whether to field a candidate or support its informal ally Apni Party, which fielded a candidate from the Pahari community. The BJP wants reservation for the Pahari community under the “Scheduled Tribes” section. The move is expected to bring electoral dividends as the community has a large vote base in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Although the campaign in Anantnag remains sluggish, it appears to be a triangular contest between candidates backed by the People’s Democratic Party, National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Anantnag-Rajori seat is not just a high-stakes battle in the assembly elections. The results will also shape Kashmir’s political landscape ahead of the next parliamentary elections expected in September.