Srinagar, Sep 12 (KNO): For the very first time, Kokernag in south Kashmir's Anantnag district is witnessing a major political contest between Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, with substantial support from the non-ST population.
According to details obtained by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), there are 10 candidates - most of them Choudharys - in the fray. However, according to political analysts, the main contest is between three Choudharys: National Conference's Zaffar Choudhary, People's Democratic Party's Haroon Choudhary and Independent candidate Gulzar Choudhary.
Kokernag in Anantnag was designated as an ST-reserved seat during the delimitation process conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) after Jammu and Kashmir's bifurcation into two Union Territories and the abrogation of its special status under Article 370.
AC 42-Kokernag (ST) includes 91,280 voters (46,840 males, 44,439 females, and one transgender voter) with 123 polling stations (five urban and 118 rural).
Zaffar Choudhary
Zaffar Choudhary, representing the National Conference (NC), has a long-standing political lineage, as his father, Choudhary Mohd Shafi, was a senior Congress leader and legislator. Zaffar began his political career in 2008 with NC but switched to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014, serving as Minister of State during the PDP-BJP coalition government. He resigned from PDP in 2018 and rejoined NC. He is considered one of the main contenders for the seat.
Haroon Choudhary
Choudhary Haroon Khatana, a prominent tribal leader from Kokernag, recently resigned from the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) and joined the PDP. He had previously been affiliated with the National Conference before moving to DPAP. Khatana enjoys a solid vote share in his area and is emerging as one of the key contenders for the seat.
Choudhary Gulzar
Choudhary Gulzar is contesting the election as an independent candidate and has garnered support from prominent individuals in the area. Recently, Talib Hussian Choudhary, who was previously associated with PDP, extended his support to Gulzar, making him a serious contender who could upset the other candidates.
The role of non-ST voters
Political analysts believe that the role of non-ST leaders is crucial, as non-ST votes may determine the outcome of the election. Peerzada Mohammad Sayed, the NC-Congress alliance candidate for the Anantnag main seat, is a voter in the Kokernag constituency, and his support for the NC candidate could be instrumental in garnering non-ST votes.
Similarly, PDP leaders like Ab Salam Reshie and others could play a vital role in securing non-ST votes for the PDP candidate.
According to analysts, the candidate who successfully attracts non-ST voters is more likely to emerge victorious.
Out of around 92,000 registered voters, only 28,000 are ST voters, while over 63,000 are non-ST voters, underscoring the critical importance of non-ST votes in the upcoming election—(KNO)