Three-phase polls in Anantnag from today, Pulwama to follow on May 6

The Lok Sabha constituency of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir is going to polls from Tuesday (April 23). The elections to this constituency, with a ‘precarious’ security scenario, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI)’s admissions, will be held in three phases. Anantnag is the only constituency in the country with that unique distinction – of three-phased polls for a single constituency.

Anantnag is the oldest district of the state and is one among the 10 that make up the Kashmir valley. Anantnag’s moderate climate, defined by the mighty Karakoram to its east and Pirpanjal to the south, belies the socio-political turmoil and violence the district has seen over the years.

In 2017, bypolls could not be held to the seat after at least seven people were killed in the relatively peaceful areas of the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency. The turnout was abysmally low at 7%. Now, in Anantnag, the elections in Kulgam will be on April 29 and Shopian and Pulwama on May 6. The ECI has also decided to reduce the polling time by two hours (it will be from 7 am to 4 pm) in the wake of threats. The ECI notification said the decision on the polls were being taken after ‘considering the reports of the district administration, the police, observers and chief electoral officer and taking into account all material circumstances including law and order situation.’

Political situation

Anantnag elected Mehbooba Mufti in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and was seen as a stronghold of her People’s Democratic Party (PDP) until it joined hands with the BJP to form the government in 2015. Mehbooba vacated her parliamentary seat when she became chief minister following the death of her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, in early 2016. No by-election could be held for the seat after that because of the security situation.

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, making the pan-India poll announcement on March 10 had admitted that holding the elections in Kashmir was ‘a difficult task.’ “We will have to carry out three phases of election for just one constituency of Anantnag. So you can imagine how complicated it is,” he said.

The candidates

Mehbooba is contesting the seat on a PDP ticket. The main rivals are National Conference candidate Hasnain Masoodi, a former judge; and GA Mir, former minister and Congress state president.

Political undercurrents

Anantnag assumed national political ramifications as it probably became the first district in the terror-torn valley to see terrorism turning in from the home-turf. The PDP stronghold witnessed heavy anti-incumbency after people gathered on the streets and obstructed the security forces subsequent to the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzafar Wani in July 2016. The country and the administration in Delhi suddenly found itself in the midst of a crisis, akin to the Naxal situation in the south, where the state was suddenly fighting its own people. The sudden antagonism and proactive steps to counter anti-terror operations by the people at once found resonance in the political narrative with the opposition stating that the security situation had worsened. The forces had to do away with anti-terror operations and the intelligence warned of subversive forces making use of the situation to regroup and strike hard. At the peak of protests, people had stormed the Damhal Hanjipora police station and took away weapons.

The campaign in Anantnag was a low-key affair but there were sweeping arrests of youths on charge of stone-throwing.

All the three parties in the fray, the PDP, NC, and the Congress have made the issues of Kashmir the poll pitch. They have vociferously denounced the high-handedness of the Centre and the BJP’s move to revoke Article 370 and 35(A) of the constitution.