Srinagar, Oct 17 (KNO): Member of Parliament (MP) and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief Er Rashid on Thursday revealed that he was familiar with only 3-4 out of the 32 candidates his party fielded in the recent assembly elections.
He said the party faced numerous challenges during the campaign, including disruptions, security issues, legal delays and a rushed candidate selection process.
Despite creating a good impact during the parliamentary elections, the AIP struggled to maintain momentum in the assembly polls, managing to secure only the Langate seat.
In an exclusive interview with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Rashid alleged that authorities deliberately obstructed his campaign, fearing that his victory would threaten the status quo of lawlessness. He expressed gratitude for the public mandate received during the parliamentary elections.
“Following my win, it became clear that the people wanted Engineer Rashid. However, I faced legal challenges initially, including a denied bail application. My legal team eventually secured interim bail, but I was left with only 13-14 days for campaigning after two phases had already concluded,” he explained.
The MP for Baramulla Lok Sabha seat said the candidate selection was rushed, with only a few known to him. “Given more time, I could have made better choices. The team was young and inexperienced, but despite the challenges, I find the outcome acceptable and believe future results will improve,” he added.
Rashid said this was the first time his party contested elections in an organised manner, yet it faced many hurdles such as delays in party registration and the lack of a common election symbol. He alleged that security issues disrupted their campaign. "I was denied permission to campaign in my own constituency of Baramulla, as well as in Bandipora and Beerwah," he claimed.
Despite these setbacks, Rashid said there is increasing support for the AIP throughout Jammu and Kashmir. “We secured a significant vote share from north to south, laying the foundation for an alternative political party. Winning MP or MLA seats is secondary; our focus remains on serving the people,” he said, invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy of fighting for people's rights.
The AIP chief expressed optimism about the future, saying he is confident that the party's strengthened base and lessons learned from the assembly election campaign would enhance their efforts for the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir—(KNO)