Best of three: NC, Apni Party, PDP engage in high-voltage poll canvassing in Srinagar [details]

Srinagar, the summer capital of the Union Territory of Jammu, is witnessing a triangular contest between the National Conference (NC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the J&K Apni Party of Altaf Bukhari.

Although the NC and PDP are traditional rivals in this prestigious Lok Sabha constituency, the Apni Party has made the contest triangular and interesting.

Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi from the NC, Waheed-ur-Rehman Para from the PDP, and Mohammad Ashraf Mir from the J&K Apni Party are the prominent candidates for this seat. There are two dozen candidates in this seat but the real fight appears to be triangular.

There are three days left for polling on this seat, which is witnessing high-pitch poll canvassing for a competitive electoral battle to elect Lok Sabha member.

Over 17 lakh voters to decide fate of candidates

Comprising four districts, namely Srinagar, Ganderbal, Pulwama, and some parts of Budgam, 17,40, 015 voters are registered for the Srinagar parliamentary constituency.

Ganderbal district has two assembly segments, Kangan and Ganderbal. The total number of voters in Ganderbal is 2,04,041, 77,537 of whom are in Kangan and 1,26,504 in Ganderbal.

In Kangan, there are over 39324 males, 38213 females, 1623 PwD (40% disability), 225 male senior citizens (85+), 213 female senior citizens (85+), and 438 total senior citizens (85+).

In Ganderbal, there are over 63093 males, 63410 females, 1211 PwD (40% disability), 397 male senior citizens (85+), 408 female senior citizens (85+), and 805 total senior citizens (85+).

In Srinagar, there are over eight assembly segments that include Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Eidgah, and Central Shalteng, where the total number of voters is 748863.

Of 7,48,863, 3,75,622 are male voters, 3,73,218 female voters, 1683 PwD (40% disability) voters, 4926 male senior citizens (85+), 4696 female senior citizens (85+), 23 transgenders and 9622 total senior citizens (85+).

In Hazratbal, there are over 1,08,467 voters, including 54,380 male voters and 54,087 female voters. In the Khanyar segment, there are over 89,814 voters, including 44,897 male and 44,915 female voters. In Habbakadal, there are over 92,716 voters, including 46,301 male and 46,410 female voters. The Lal Chowk segment has over 1,03,784 voters, including 51,928 males and 51,854 females.

In Chanapora, there are over 81,266 voters, including 40,734 male and 40,531 female voters. In the Zadibal segment, there are over 1,08,938 voters, including 54696 male and 54,238 female voters.

Eidgah has over 59,994 voters, including 30,233 male and 29,759 female voters. In the Central Shalteng segment, there are over 1,03,884 voters, which include 52,453 males and 52,453 females.

There are five segments in total, three of which fall in the Srinagar parliament seat and include Khan Sahib, Char-i-Sharif, and Chadoora.

In Khan Sahib, there are over 94,612 voters, including 48,140 male and 46,467 female voters. In the Char-i-Sharif segment, there are over 1,03,126 voters, including 52,288 male and 52,288 female voters. And in Chadoora, there are over 89,068 voters, including 44,312 male and 44,754 female voters.

As far as Shopian is concerned, the district has two segments, Zainpora and Shopian. Shopian area falls under the Srinagar parliament seat. In Shopian, there are over 98,933 voters, of which 50,003 are male and 48,925 are female.

In Pulwama, there are over four segments: Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, and Rajpora, with a voting population of 4,03,192. Of these, 2,02,899 are female voters, 2,00,277 are male voters, 4113 have PwD (40% disability), 1595 are male senior citizens (85+), and 1820 are female senior citizens (85+).

In Pampore, there are over 99,239 voters, 50,090 of whom are male and 49,145 female. In Tral, there are over 97,477 voters, 48,350 of whom are male and 49,120 female. In Pulwama, there are over 98,713 voters, 48,989 of whom are male and 49,723 female. In Rajpora, there are over 1,07,763 voters, 53,793 of whom are male and 53,966 of whom are female.

History of this high-profile Lok Sabha segment

The prestigious Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency is dominated by the National Conference, as the party has won 10 out of the 13 Lok Sabha elections on this seat. The seat was also represented by family members of Abdullahs.

In 1977, this seat was won by Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah, mother of Dr. Farooq Abdullah. In the 1980 general election, Dr. Farooq Abdullah won this seat as NC candidate. He won this seat four times. The only national party to ever win the Lok Sabha elections in Srinagar is Congress, which emerged victorious in the 1996 elections.

• In 1967 Bakshi Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad won this seat as an NC candidate.
• In 1971 S. A. Shamim won this seat as an Independent candidate.
• Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah won this seat as an NC candidate in the year 1977.
• In 1980 Dr. Farooq Abdullah won this seat as a candidate of the NC.
• In the 1983 by-election, this seat was won by Abdul Rashid Kabuli as the NC candidate.
• Abdul Rashid Kabuli again won this seat as the NC candidate in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections.
• Mohammad Shafi Bhat of the National Conference won this seat in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections.
• 1996 Ghulam Mohammad Mir Magami of the Indian National Congress won this seat.
• In three successive elections of 1998, 1999, and 2004, this seat was won by Omar Abdullah as a National Conference candidate.
• In 2009, Dr Farooq Abdullah won this seat as a National Conference candidate.
• Tariq Hameed Karra of the PDP won this seat in the year 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
• In 2017 by-elections, Dr. Farooq Abdullah won this seat as a candidate of the National Conference.
•  In the 2019 general elections, it was again Dr. Farooq Abdullah who emerged victorious in this seat.