Tuesday 14th Apr, 2026
By Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Apr 13: (UNI) The poll battle has now shifted to prestigious Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency, spread over three central Kashmir districts of Srinagar, Badgam and Ganderbal, where over 12.95 lakh voters will decide the fate of 12 candidates on April 18.
National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah is seeking re-election from the constituency, which was, barring twice, represented by NC since party shunned the plebiscite demand and joined the election process after Indira-Sheikh accord in 1977. Interestingly, Congress has not fielded any candidate against Dr Abdullah following agreement that NC will not put up any candidate in Jammu to avoid divide of secular votes.
Dr Abdullah has to battle it out against Aga Syed Mohsin of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sheikh Khalid Jehangir of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Abdual Rashid Ganie of National Panthers Party (NPP), Showkat Hussain Khan of Janata Dal (United), Abdul Khaliq Bhat of Shiv Sena (SS), Irfan Raza Ansari of People Conference (PC), Nazir Ahmad Lone of Rashtriya Jankranti Party (RJP), Nazir Ahmad Sofi of Manvadhikar National Party, Independents Bilal Sultan , Sajjad Ahmad Dar and Abdul Rashid Banday.
After hectic campaigning in Baramulla constituency, which went to polls on April 11, leaders of different political parties are addressing poll meetings, seeking votes for their party candidates.
Interestingly, the development issue has taken a back seat as leaders are trying to woo the voters raising the issues of threat to Article 370 and 35 A, ban on civilian traffic twice in a week on Srinagar-Jammu national highway and National Investigation Agency (NIA) raids, besides Public Safety Act (PSA).
The NC, PDP and PC are blaming each other for the prevailing situation in the valley besides erosion of special status of the state. Three former chief ministers — Dr Farooq Abdullah, his son and NC vice president Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti president PDP — staged dharna on the highway against ban to draw the attention of voters.
However, Dr Abdullah, who addressed a poll rally in the Dal Lake area, did not mention anything about the Article 370, 35 A and NIA raids but talked about tourism to woo the voters, particularly shikarawala and houseboat owners associated with tourism.
The main contest will be between Dr Abdullah, PC candidate Irfan Raza Ansari and Aga Syed Mohsin of PDP. Interestingly, the SS has also put up their candidate in the constituency which has no base. BJP which had not fielded any candidate in the Bye-election in 2017 has fielded Sheikh Khalid Jehangir this time. BJP has also been able to hold meetings of party workers in the constituency, mostly indoor. Bye-election in the constituency was held after PDP Member of Parliament (MP) Tariq Hameed Karra resigned from the seat and party after PDP again formed coalition government headed by Mehbooba Mufti with BJP despite his opposition. Karra had defeated Dr Abdullah in 2014 election. However, Dr Abdullah won the By-election by securing 48,555 votes while his nearest rival of PDP Nazir Ahmad Khan got 37,779 votes in the boycott hit election.
Out of 15 Assembly segments, NC and PDP have won seven each while one went to PDF in the constituency in 2014 when no party could manage to get magic 44 figure in 87-member-House. Later, PDP and BJP formed a coalition government.
NC headed by Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad was the first to represent the constituency in 1967. However, Shamim Ahmad Shamim, an Independent candidate, supported by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah won in 1971. In 1977, Begum Akbar Jehan, wife of Sheikh Abdullah, got elected. Dr Abdullah represented the constituency in 1980, 2009 and 2017. Omar Abdullah won 1989, 1999 and 2004, when he became minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government at the centre.
The NC candidates Abdul Rashid Kabuli represented the seat in 1984 and Mohammad Shafi Bhat in 1989 while Congress nominee Ghulam Mohammad Mir Magami won in 1996 when NC boycott the polls while PDP Tariq Hamid Karra in 2014.
No elections could be held in 1991 due to militancy in the valley.
Meanwhile, 12.95 lakh electors will exercise their democratic right on April 18 in the constituency, spread over 15 Assembly segments comprising of three districts of Central Kashmir — Ganderbal, Srinagar and Budgam.
According to the figures provided by the office of Chief Electoral Officer, J&K, the Srinagar PC has 12,95,304 registered voters, including 627,282 females, 744 service voters (728 males and 16 females) and 26 transgender. The election authorities have set up 1716 Polling Stations for the smooth conduct of elections in the constituency.
Ganderbal district, with two Assembly segments of Kangan and Ganderbal has 176,650 electors including 85,738 females, 116 service voters (113 males and 3 females) and a single transgender voter. The authorities have set up 235 polling stations across the district.
District Srinagar, comprising eight Assembly segments of Hazratbal, Zadibal, Eidgah, Khanyar, Habba Kadal, Amira Kadal, Sonawar and Batamaloo has 649,236 electors including 315,702 females, 32 service voters (31 males and 1 female) and 10 transgender voters. The authorities have set up 857 polling stations across the district.
Similarly, Budgam district with five Assembly segments of Chadoora, Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib and Chrar-i-Sharif has 469, 418 electors including 596 service voters (584 males and 12 females) and 15 transgender voters. As many as 624 polling stations have been set up in the district for the polling.
In the Parliamentary Constituency, the highest number of electors is registered in Batamaloo Assembly segment with 127,916 electors including 61,771 females, 8 male service voters and six transgender voters. The ECI has setup 163 polling stations across this Assembly segment.
Khanyar Assembly segment of Srinagar district has lowest number of 47944 electors including 24,504 males, 23,439 females and a single transgender voter. 86 polling stations have been established in the Assembly segment for the smooth conduct of polls.