Srinagar, Sep 20 (KNO): The former legislator and Apni Party’s candidate for Lal Chowk seat, Muhammad Ashraf Mir Friday said the independent candidates, who left the party for the mandate earlier, will be joining them back once the results are declared. He also stated that the constituency has been developed for tourists only while the major portion of it has been craving for the development.
In a special conversation with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Mir, who defeated the former chief minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah in 2014 assembly elections from previous Sonwar AC, said there are people who left the Apni Party after they didn’t get the mandate. “Most of them are now fighting as independent candidates, but you can consider them with us as they will be joining the party once they get the mandate from the people,” Mir said.
The former legislator and the cabinet minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government said that in every political party, the people remain aspirants about the mandate. “If the individuals are dedicated and committed then they won’t leave after not getting a mandate but if they are in the party only for the power then they will switch to other parties,” he said, adding that it happens in every political party but “I think those who left in anger have gone only for the mandate and nothing else.”
He also reacted to the query about their rejoining, Mir said, “most of them are fighting as independent candidates and they will return once they win the elections.”
Asked about the role of AP in forming the next government, the former MLA said that it is up to the people to give mandate to the representatives and nothing can be said as of now. “Once the results are out, the things will be cleared to all. We are expecting that the people will throw a good mandate in our favour so that the party will form the government with majority,” he added.
Asked whether the party will join hands with PDP to form the next dispensation, Mir said, “The party has not entered into pre-poll alliance with anyone, nor has it decided about the future alliance, but if there will be a fractured mandate, we will join hands with the like-minded parties to form the next government.”
Moreover, he said that everything is possible in politics and democracy while the doors of political parties remain open as well as closed at times. “But this time, the election is only for the people, who will elect their representatives,” he added.
Asked about the door-to-door campaigning during this election, Muhammad Ashraf Mir said the Apni Party is the only party, who connected with the people after the abrogation of the Article 370 in August 2019. “However, as the elections are held, the party has decided to meet the people one by one to get feedback from them about the political failures and other related things. It has helped us to get connected with the people without any interference and also know about their aspirations and demands,” he said, adding that the process was started by party Chief Syed Altaf Bukhari first and later was followed by the other candidates as well.
“The people have been deceived as the political representatives have failed to come up to their expectations and thus we are getting connected with them to see their mood,” Mir said.
However, Mir was unhappy with the demarcation of the constituencies, saying that it has been done in hotchpotch manner and wrongly as well. “The erstwhile Sonwar constituency has been divided into three constituencies. Some of the people still don’t know in which constituency they are falling now. Such things have turned difficult for the representatives as well as the common masses, but this door-to-door campaign has helped us in this regard. Yes, some difficulties have been faced by me, but the people are now aware about their candidate,” he added while adding that the people will come to know about their representatives only after the results are over.
Asked about expectations in the 2024 assembly polls after defeating the former chief minister in 2014 assembly elections, Mir said that “Thank god, there has been a good support of people so far in the last 20 days. I didn’t get any negative feedback from anywhere. I didn’t get upset anywhere, but people are upset about the work of political representatives, who seek votes during elections and didn’t turn up to see their sufferings, but I won’t let my people down,” he said.
Initially, the hiccups are expected but the situation improves, which is the part of democracy he further responded.
While reacting to the Smart City projects in Lal Chowk constituency, Mir said a patch of of Lal Chowk has been developed for tourists, but the people in the interiors of this constituency didn’t witness even 5 per cent of the work, “Such is the situation that the people don’t even believe that these areas are part of Srinagar or municipal limits. There is a need to do a lot of work in terms of development, but for the tourist sector, thr things have been done well,” he said.
About the rivals in assembly elections, Mir said, “My ideology is to make people aware about the right and wrong. I will not do politics but will serve my people. I will use all my powers to help the people and rest it is in the hands of people who will win and who will lose.”
Asked about expectations on the day of results, he said after facing the difficult situation in the last eight years, there are many things that people are witnessing including the shortage of electricity, ration, rise in drug menace and other things, but if we can be able to mitigate the sufferings of people that would be happiest moments for them. “No party as of date can set a target of achieving any numbers in the assembly elections, but since the party has done well for the people, we are expecting good results from them,” he said—(KNO)