Farooq pulls out all stops to retain Srinagar LS seat
PDP won the seat but NC regained it after bypoll
SRINAGAR : Srinagar has been the bastion of the National Conference for decades and it was a herculean task to beat the oldest regional party on its own turf despite low polling turnout in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. However, for the first time since its formation in 1999, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) managed to register its win on the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat when party candidate Tariq Karra defeated NC leader Farooq Abdullah.
Five years down the line, the political situation has completely changed. The PDP suffered one jolt after another when senior party leaders and legislators left the party. Tariq Karra also resigned from the party soon after 2016 agitation and joined the Congress. The NC wrestled the seat in the subsequent by-election in 2017 with more than 10,000 votes in a violence ridden polling which witnessed mere 7.6% turnout.
Now the NC is all out to retain the Srinagar seat and its adjoining districts with NC president Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah addressing series of rallies in the city and its outskirts. They have managed to galvanise the party cadres as well.
Addressing one such rally at SK Park on Monday, NC president Farooq Abdullah said, “never in my life, I am going with Modi or the BJP. Please come out to vote. When you people stay away from polling, you are aware how things are manipulated.”
The senior leader also praised his son Omar and told the gathering that he could safeguard the destiny of his people in his absence as well. Both father son duo has been launching scathing attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP, even raising questions over Pulwama attack and Balakot strike.