Srinagar, Sep 04 (KNO): The Main Sopore assembly constituency is set for a competitive triangular contest in the upcoming elections, with the candidates from the National Conference (NC), Congress and an independent in the fray.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the key contenders are NC's Irshad Rasool Kar and Congress’s Abdul Rashid Dar. An independent candidate, Mohammad Latief Dand, might act as a vote splitter, which could benefiting Dar by drawing votes away from Kar.
According to political analysts, the Awami Ittehaad Party (AIP) could also be a significant factor, especially if its chief Engineer Rasheed, who is currently imprisoned, is released. They believe that the AIP's influence, particularly following recent parliamentary elections, could play a crucial role in the constituency.
Irshad Rasool Kar (NC)
A son of veteran Congress leader Ghulam Rasool Kar, who was a member of the Assembly in 1957 and a Member of Parliament in 1996, Irshad has a strong political background. His candidacy could mobilise mass support.
Abdul Rashid Dar (Congress)
He is a former MLA of Sopore with a robust political history. In the 2014 assembly elections, Dar won with 8,429 votes, while Nazir Ahmed Naikoo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was the runner-up. Irshad, then an independent, received 5,324 votes.
Mohammad Latief Dand (Independent)
An advocate by profession, Latief began his political career with the National Conference and was active in the pre-militancy era in Sopore. Despite his longstanding association with the party, he never officially resigned.
Following the 2010 killing of Ghulam Nabi Khan (Khan Sopori), Latief re-emerged in politics, though he was not accommodated by the NC. He is currently the president of the Anjuman Moin ul Islam, overseeing the affairs of the Anjuman and Jamia Masjid, which are central to the region’s political landscape.
Analysts suggest that Latief might receive support from figures affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami, based on past electoral successes within the Anjuman.
It is worth mentioning here that Sopore, which has largely remained away from the polls is now witnessing a heated political atmosphere, with various political parties and independent candidates having already begun their campaigns and are intensifying the contest for the constituency—(KNO)