(Asian News Hub) – Once seen as a peripheral player, Peoples Conference has emerged as a major political force in Kashmir.
The party has emerged as the main challenge for National Conference on political landscape of Kashmir after “decimation “of Peoples Democratic Party and unimpressive” performance of Apni Party in its maiden electoral battle.
After BJP withdrew support to Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Democratic Party has lost 18 members who were MLAs in the last Assembly of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.
These members have either left the party or were expelled from it.
The Apni Party, which contested election on 170 seats in district development council polls, managed to win just 12 seats.
On the other hand, Peoples Conference emerge as the single largest party in two politically- significant districts of north Kashmir by winning five seats in Kupwara and three seats in Baramulla.
With joining of political bigwigs like former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig, former minister and two-time MLA Syed Basharat Bukhari, former MLA Peerzada Mansoor and ex-MLC Khursheed Alam, the party has managed to widen its geographical reach and strengthen its electoral prospects.
According to political observers, the party’s traditional votebank in north Kashmir and superb performance in the district development council polls has come as a major boost for it.
“Before 1987, only National Conference, Peoples Conference, Jamaat-e-Islamia and Awami Action Committee had votebank in Kashmir. While National Conference had pan-J&K presence, the other parties had influence in some pockets,” they said, adding that PC was the main opposition to NC in north Kashmir.
According to them, PC chairman Sajad Gani Lone has managed to expand the party after contesting 2009 Lok Sabha polls. “Lone himself has significant influence in six Assembly segments of north Kashmir.
The party general secretary Imran Reza Ansari has followers in different pockets of north and central Kashmir. He can influence outcome on the number of segments in these two regions,” they said.
A senior leader of PC said that joining of Muzaffar Hussain Baig and Syed Basharat has strengthened the party in Baramulla district.
“Baig has influence in Baramulla district as well as on Pahari votebank in different parts of Valley. Basharat has won both the Assembly elections, he contested from Sangrama after he joined politics,” he said.
The PC leaders are hopeful that they will be able to gain foothold in both central and south Kashmir after recent joining’s.
“We already had former MLA Zadibal Abid Ansari in Srinagar. Now with joining of former MLC Khursheed Alam, we will be able to expand the party in central Kashmir especially Srinagar district,” he said, adding that Mansoor’s entry in the party will help them to gain foothold in south Kashmir.
He said the party leaders Abdul Gani Vakil and Raja Aijaz Ali have sizeable influence in Rafiabad and Uri segments, respectively.
In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, National Conference got 2.79 lakh votes in Kashmir Valley, Peoples Conference 1.32 lakh votes and Peoples Democratic Party 83 thousand votes.
