Anantnag– Rajouri Lok Sabha Seat Profile
News Kashmir Analysis
The biggest festival of democracy in the country Lok Sabha elections are on , the election campaign is on in entire country.
Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing the first major election after the abrogation of article 370.
Anantnag–Rajouri Lok Sabha seat is one of the five Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir .
The prestigious seat would go to the polls on May 7, 2024 .
Expert pulse is This constituency has contrasting demographics and shows historical voting patterns.
It is to be noted that decision by the Delimitation Commission to merge the Anantnag constituency with Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu region has added a new dimension to the electoral landscape. This move, viewed by many as an attempt to penetrate with more vigour nationalist feeling in Kashmir valley, underscores the strategic significance of the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency in national politics.
The glimpse of the assembly constituency shows how long , peculiar the seat is:
AC Name District
36 Zainapora Shopian
38 D. H. Pora Kulgam
39 Kulgam
40 Devsar
41 Dooru Anantnag
42 Kokernag (ST)
43 Anantnag West
44 Anantnag
45 Srigufwara-Bijbehra
46 Shangus – Anantnag East
47 Pahalgam
84 Nowshera Rajouri
85 Rajouri (ST)
86 Budhal (ST)
87 Thannamandi (ST)
88 Surankote (ST) Poonch
89 Poonch Haveli
90 Mendhar (ST).
As a matter of fact, on Thursday 18 April, 2024
Kashmir’s Anantnag town was buzzing with political activity and we saw many leaders filing their nominations for the Lok Sabha elections. National Conference leader Mian Altaf Ahmad and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, along with seven others, filed nomination papers for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat.
As a matter of fact, mighty Pir Panjal mountain splits the Anantnag constituency, pushing Rajouri and Poonch to the other side. In between is Shopian district, which has been made part of Srinagar parliament seat. For political parties and candidates, travelling from one part of the constituency to the other area for campaigning is a huge challenge.
National Conference candidate for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat Mian Altaf Ahmad few days back said he is in a “comfortable situation” as he is the most acceptable candidate among the contestants on both sides of the Pir Panjal range.
“I am in a comfortable situation and I feel I am acceptable on both sides — Anantnag-Kulgam as well as Rajouri-Poonch. My assessment might be wrong, but I think the other parties contesting here do not have as much acceptability on both sides,” Ahmad told reporters here while on campaign trail.
The PDP leader and Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is another heavyweight in the seat ,and many affirm that Anantnag– Rajouri could be direct contest between NC and PDP.
Mehbooba Mufti echoed strong words.
This is not the time to boycott,” Mufti said in villages that have in the past seen turnout as low as five percent.
She made an appeal not just for votes but for financial help too. “Come forward and help me with whatever you can – Rs 100, Rs 200,” she said. “When I contested the Parliament elections in 2019, I had 50 lakhs in my account; today I have only Rs 22 lakh.”
We are slated in for an interesting and Exciting contest in Anantnag– Rajouri Loksabha seat.
