Baramulla’s Surprise Bet: Could Engineer Rashid Gallop to Victory as the ‘Dark Horse’?
Incarcerated firebrand leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid’s son leads rousing campaign, mobilising youth and drawing crowds in North Kashmir.
Despite languishing in Delhi’s Tihar jail, Sheikh Abdul Rashid who is contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha election from North Kashmir’s Baramulla seat, has found strong crowds attending the campaigns that his young son is leading on his behalf.
Rashid, popularly known as “Engineer Rashid”, has garnered massive support and sympathy from people in the Kashmir Valley after his 23-year-old son Abrar Rashid Sheikh began to lead his election campaign. “I am not a politician but I am seeking your votes for my incarcerated father to get him free from jail,” Abrar, a postgraduate student of science, asked the massive crowd amid the slogans—“Jail ka badla vote se” (revenge of jail with vote).
For the past two weeks, Abrar has been canvassing for his father, a firebrand leader who was arrested in August 2019 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a terror funding case. He told Frontline that he did not expect the amount of support and sympathy he has received from the people. “Given my lack of political exposure and resources, I did not expect that I would get such huge support from the people. Behind the massive public support I am realising the calibre of my father who remained steadfast despite facing hardships.”
The two-time legislator and former MLA from Kupwara district’s Langate Assembly constituency who often landed in controversies on account of his brand of politics and his outspoken nature was jailed when the BJP-led Central government abrogated Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and Statehood on August 5, 2019. Rashid became the first mainstream politician to be booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the stringent anti-terror law.
In 2015, Rashid in an interview to The Hindu had said that Indian news channels had reduced him to a “separatist masquerading as an MLA” in Kashmir, where he claimed the separatist leaders abhorred him for “embracing” the Indian Constitution. In almost every rally his young son in a white T-shirt has been promising voters that if his jailed father comes to power all the incarcerated people languishing in jails across India will be released.
Strong support on the ground
Although lacking resources and experience, Abrar’s emotional speeches have drawn large crowds in their thousands, most of them youths and first-time voters joining his rallies in Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora and Budgam districts. “The crowd behind me includes first-time voters, youths, and adults who are strong supporters of my father. People have voluntarily given their money, time and energy towards our campaigns. We are confident that we will win the seat,” said Abrar. Social media in Kashmir is also abuzz with videos of his rallies.
Rashid, the 58-year-old founder of the Awami-e-Ittihad Party (AIP), is fighting the polls as an independent candidate using a “pressure cooker” as his poll symbol; his party is not registered with the Election Commission. Thousands of men and women, mostly youths, have been assembling in every corner of the Baramulla constituency, chanting slogans like “Naa jukne-wala engineer, na-bikne wala engineer” (the engineer who won’t back down, the engineer who can’t be bought).
In the scorching heat, even women supporters along with their children are seen offering milk and showering toffees on people participating in Abrar’s rallies and roadshows. His emotional appeal to seek votes for his father appears to have struck a chord even in Baramulla’s Palhalan, Sopore, and Hajin areas, previously known as “poll boycott” areas and militant strongholds.
“It is pleasing to see people, mainly youths, shunning the path of violence and embracing democracy, indicating a paradigm shift towards electoral politics. The youth have full faith in Engineer Rashid, which is why they are on streets to see him in Parliament,” said Abrar, who claims that he will leave politics after the elections and continue with his education.
Many voters who stayed away from polling in Srinagar constituency on May 13 claimed that they would have voted had it been Rashid or any other candidate from his party who was contesting. For example, Mudasir Thokar, a PhD scholar from south Kashmir’s Shopian, claimed that he embarked on a barefoot journey spanning approximately 114 kilometres to Baramulla constituency and joined Rashid’s rally.
“I walked from South to North to give tribute to Engineer Rashid, our true leader whose voice the people of Kashmir desperately need. I also wanted to do some small campaigning for him so that people can vote for him,” 35-year-old Thokar told Frontline.
Similarly, a 27-year-old private school teacher Gowhar Abdullah Reshi of Shatgund Payeen village in north Kashmir’s Langate told Frontline that if the election is not rigged, Rashid will win comfortably. “I have never cast my vote before, but this time I will vote for Rashid. Despite facing hardships he never bowed down and spoke fearlessly in favour of Kashmiri youth.” Reshi was urging people to vote for Rashid, lauding his consistent efforts and struggles, and saying this made him the most qualified leader.
Some political activists and leaders have also thrown their weight behind Rashid. For example, chief spokesperson of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), led by Ghulam Nabi Azad, told Frontline that all party leaders and workers are standing with Rashid for his contributions and struggles for the people of J&K.
His energetic rallies and roadshows have sent alarm bells ringing in the camps of the other leaders who are fighting for the constituency that has around 17 lakh voters. “I was stunned to see a sea of people, mostly youths in Baramulla, who turned out for the rallies and roadshows for Engineer Rashid. I see the incarcerated leader winning hands down,” said Thokar.
Other contenders for Baramulla
The overwhelming support for Rashid, whose nomination papers were filed last month, has spiced up the contest that also includes three other main contenders—former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah; Peoples Conference (PC) chairman Sajad Gani Lone, the alleged B-Team of the BJP in Kashmir; and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Fayaz Ahmad Mir, a former Rajya Sabha member.
Before Rashid’s unexpected entry, Abdullah was tipped to easily win the Lok Sabha battle in Baramulla, which went to polls today. Many people, including political analysts and journalists, admitted that the overwhelming support for Rashid has unnerved top candidates in the fray.
Kashmir-based political activist and advocate Irfan Hafeez Lone told Frontline that Rashid can win the Baramulla seat if the strong crowds are also his voters. “If people, mainly first-time voters, turn up and vote then Rashid’s success is on the cards. After Srinagar recorded the highest voter turnout of 37.99 per cent in three decades, Baramulla is also likely to record around 50 to 60 per cent voter turnout, ” said Lone.
In the 2019 Parliamentary election, the constituency recorded a 34.89 per cent turnout, the highest in the Valley. This time however the number is expected to increase significantly. In that election, Rashid, who began his political career in 2008 after quitting his job as an engineer, surprised everyone by finishing third and polling over one lakh votes, finishing ahead of the PDP and Congress candidates. The seat ultimately landed in the NC leader Mohammad Akbar Lone’s kitty.
Triangular contest
The prominent political and social commentator on J&K Zafar Choudhary told Frontline that the election in the Baramulla constituency was about Abdullah versus Lone until Rashid jumped in. “Even though the PDP was a formidable player, the contest was mainly seen as a direct one between NC and PC. Rashid’s sudden jump into the fray and his subsequent mercurial rise in the campaign led by his son has turned the contest into a triangular battle.”
Choudhary added that it was an exciting political spectacle that Rashid had been able to register himself as an enviable player in the election, but it was difficult to say that he was surely headed for victory because elections are always uncertain until the very end.
“NC and PC have formidable organisational networks and all the necessary infrastructure to contest elections. Rashid is mainly about the sentiment. Organisational footprint enables parties to get some votes from every polling station. Sentiments may get you massive support, but it may be limited to certain pockets,” he explained.
A senior journalist and the chief editor of a Srinagar-based newspaper told Frontline that the presence of crowds and the fervent support Rashid has managed to get may not translate directly into electoral success. “The sympathy factor is no doubt working for Rashid, but it is premature to predict if the people in his rallies and roadshows will eventually vote for him. Many of his supporters are also non-voters, as they are below the age of 18.” Source
