Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Sep 04: The Damhal-Hanjipora seat in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district will witness a competitive contest as former minister and National Conference (NC) candidate Sakina Itoo faces a divided People’s Democratic Party (PDP) vote between old and new candidates.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the division of PDP votes could benefit NC’s Itoo, who is aiming to win the seat for the third time after losing to Abdul Majeed Padder in 2014.
Damhal Hanji Pora (DH Pora) is known for high voter turnout, and this election might set new records.
PDP’s previous candidate, Ab Majeed Padder, who won the seat in 2014, has since joined the Apni Party and is contesting this election under its banner.
According to analysts, Padder retains a strong vote share in the constituency, which could make him a formidable opponent for Itoo, who struggled against him in 2014.
PDP’s new candidate, Gulzar Ahmad Dar, also a DDC member, is expected to be a strong contender. His entry into the race could sway the outcome, given the longstanding rivalry between NC and PDP in the region.
The seat has traditionally been a stronghold for the National Conference, with Sakina Itoo winning twice and her father, Wali Mohammad Itoo, representing the constituency four times. PDP won the seat in 2002 and 2014, but the new candidate might face challenges in replicating past successes.
In previous elections, the vote count showed the competitive nature of this seat.
In 2014, PDP’s Abdul Majeed Padder secured 28,698 votes, while Sakina Itoo received around 25,000 votes.
In 2008, Sakina Itoo won with 16,240 votes against PDP’s Abdul Aziz Zargar, who got 11,722 votes.
In 2002, PDP’s Zargar received 3,616 votes, and Sakina Itoo got 3,301 votes.
1996, Sakina Itoo garnered 12,553 votes, with Gulzar Dar of Janata Dal receiving 7,694 votes.
Wali Mohammad Itoo, Sakina’s father, won the seat in the elections of 1972, 1977, 1983 and 1987. Before that, Congress’s Abdul Aziz Zargar won in 1967, and Ghulam Hassan Khan of the NC won in 1962.
A total of 99,037 eligible voters are registered in the constituency, which was renamed from Noorabad to Damhal-Hanjipora following a delimitation exercise. The seat will be contested in the first phase of the J&K assembly elections on September 18—(KNO)
