Srinagar, Sep 09 (KNO): The Khanyar constituency, located in Srinagar's downtown area, is one of the 90 assembly seats in Jammu & Kashmir. The main contesting parties in the constituency are the National Conference (NC) and Congress alliance, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Apni Party and six independent candidates.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the constituency has a total of 91,226 voters, with 45,407 males and 45,816 females. It also has three transgenders. The polling stations will be set up in urban areas, with a maximum of 126 stations.
Demographic profile of the constituency
Khanyar is located in Srinagar’s downtown area, stretching from Khayam to Khwaja Bazar in Srinagar district, about 4 km north of Lal Chowk. The area is famous for the shrine of Abdul Qadir Gilani (RA), also called Dastgeer Sahib by locals, built in 1806 AD.
Major areas within this constituency include Kaw Mohallah Auqilmir, Qadri Kocha Auqilmir, Baba Daemb, Roz Bal, Arm Masjid and Pandan Haka Bazar.
During the 2014 elections, Khanyar had a voter base of 51,011, with 26,554 males and 24,456 females. Now, the constituency has a total of 91,226 voters, including 45,407 males and 45,816 females, along with three transgender voters. The constituency has 126 polling stations, with most in urban areas.
Election phases, poll date, results
The election dates are as follows: the first phase will be held on September 18, the second phase on September 25, and the final phase on October 1. The results for all 90 constituencies, including Khanyar, will be declared on October 8.
The NC-Congress alliance has fielded Ali Mohammad Sagar, a long-time winner from the constituency, as their candidate. Sagar has been holding the seat tightly for the last four assembly elections, with a margin of victory of only 1,167 votes in the last election.
Other candidates include Tafazul Mushtaq from PDP, Bilal Ahmad Mir from Apni Party and Sheikh Imran, a former Deputy Mayor of Srinagar, who is contesting as an independent candidate. There are also five other independent candidates contesting from the constituency.
In the 2014 elections, Sagar won the seat by defeating PDP's Muhammad Khurshid Alam. The voter turnout in the constituency was 26.16 percent.
Political analysts say the constituency has no prominent or impactful political candidate other than Sagar. However, they say that new faces, including independents, could also turn around the political tables and make it an unpredictable outcome.
The Khanyar Assembly seat will go to polls in the second phase on September 25—(KNO)