Srinagar
The stage is all set for the first phase of parliamentary polls in Baramulla constituency in north Kashmir, where over 32,000 additional security men have been deployed to ensure peaceful voting on Thursday.For the first time in the last 23 years, Kashmiri separatists, who are facing a major crackdown, have not carried out any visible anti-election campaign in Kashmir.

The Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, spread over 15 Assembly segments in three border districts of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora, will see a tough contest between four players National Conference’s Akbar Lone, People’s Conference’s Raja Aijaz Ali, Peoples Democratic Party’s Qayoom Wani and Awami Ittehad Party leader Abdul Rashid Sheikh, alias Engineer Rasheed.

While NC’s Akbar Lone, a three-time MLA from Sonwari, will be banking on traditional votes, PDP’s Qayoom Wani, a former trade union leader contesting for the first time, hopes that the teaching community will come out to vote for him. Cop-turned-politician Raja Aijaz Ali has projected his party as an alternative to the NC and the PDP. Firebrand leader and former independent MLA Rasheed too has been able to attract large crowds. With IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal and former minister Ghulam Hassan Mir coming in support of Rasheed, he is also a strong contender.

The high decibel poll campaign has been marred by controversies with NC’s Akbar Lone leading the chorus by raising “Pakistan zindabad” slogans during an rally.The People’s Conference focused on development for Kupwara, promising a tunnel to the landlocked border region of Karnah. The party also targeted the NC more than the PDP.

The PDP on the other hand highlighted the need to safeguard the special constitutional position of J&K, promising to ensure that these laws stay. The party was back to its soft separatist politics and targeted its former alliance partner BJP. Though overall security in north Kashmir is better than south Kashmir districts, the authorities are not taking any chance.