Swift entry and exit of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad from the poll arena has made the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat a new battleground of the INDI Alliance constituents --the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party in Kashmir valley.

Instead of putting up a united front both the Kashmir-based political parties are bent upon staking their credibility in the eyes of the electorate. 

Former Congress stalwart Ghulam Nabi Azad after announcing his candidature from the seat decided to withdraw his name at the last minute raising speculations about his party's hold over the electorate in the region.

The JKNC has fielded the tallest Gujjar leader Mian Altaf Ahmad, five-time MLA from the Kangan Assembly seat while former Chief Minister and PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti is testing political waters from the newly carved out Lok Sabha seat to resurrect her political career.

In the absence of any BJP candidate in the fray, the role of a third candidate Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir APNI party becomes equally important as he is expected to be the biggest beneficiary of the voters belonging to the Pahari community.

According to official sources, a total of 18,16,371 voters comprising 9,23,434 men and 8,92,910 women are expected to exercise their right to vote on the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary seat.

Out of them, as many as 7,29,830 voters are distributed across seven assembly segments of Rajouri and Poonch districts, while the remaining 10,86, 541 voters are in eleven constituencies of three districts—Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag of South Kashmir.

Approximately  60 percent of the total 7,29,830 voters in Rajouri and Poonch districts belong to the Pahari community while the remaining 40 percent are Gujjar and Bakerwal community votes.

The votes of the Pahari community are expected to tilt the balance of power in the favour of the winning candidate. Ground reports suggested a large number of Pahari community former public representatives, who contested the Panchayat and District Development Council polls are making up their minds to support a like-minded candidate in the fray.

Meanwhile,  all three candidates including PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti, Mian Altaf Ahmad of JKNC and Zaffar Iqbal Manhas of JKAPNI party filed their nomination papers in the office of the Returning Officer in Anantnag on Thursday.

JKNC leader was accompanied by Omar Abdullah and Congress General Secretary GA Mir and others while Mehbooba Mufti was joined by senior party leaders at the time of filing her nomination papers.

Interacting with the media persons, Mehbooba Mufti appealed to the people not to boycott the elections. She emphasized that these elections are crucial for responding to the BJP's actions against the dignity, identity, and resources of Jammu and Kashmir. Mehbooba stressed that the people must use their voting power to defeat the BJP. "I urge all the people of Jammu and Kashmir not to boycott the elections. There are attempts to encourage boycotts, particularly in South Kashmir. We must expose these conspiracies. Vote for the candidate whom you believe will advocate for the oppressed people.Our land, resources, jobs are being snatched away from us and there are attempts to turn Kashmiris into bonded slaves. This is our land and we will not allow its plundering at any cost. People must vote this time and vote cautiously in favour of the candidates who can represent them and speak truth to power without any fear and any partiality," Mehbooba said.

Talking to reporters after filing nomination papers, Omar Abdullah said he was hopeful that Mian Altaf Ahmad, the influential Gujjar leader from Kangan in central Kashmir, would emerge victorious.

“On behalf of the INDIA bloc, National Conference candidate Mian Altaf Ahmad has submitted his nomination papers to the DC (returning officer). We are hopeful that Mian Sahib will emerge victorious. On behalf of NC president Farooq Abdullah, we are very thankful to G A Mir who came here from Delhi, especially for this,” the NC vice president said.

Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement on the destruction caused by gun culture in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said the National Conference has been the worst victim of violence.

“We know very well where the gun culture came from. No party has been a bigger victim of this gun culture than the National Conference. We have lost more than 4,000 senior workers, party office bearers, and former legislators,” he added.

On former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad withdrawing from the contest in Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, Abdullah said he knew about it beforehand.

“We knew that he would not contest. He did not contest from his Doda seat, why would he contest from Anantnag? Now his party has fielded a new candidate. How much support they have among the people you will come to know shortly,” he said.

On the BJP not fielding any candidates on the three seats in the valley, Abdullah said, “There are still 24 hours left. Who knows they might just do it!”

Senior Congress leader GA Mir said he was confident of a sweep for INDIA bloc candidates in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Jammu and Kashmir will not be divided into several parties. It is a direct contest between INDIA bloc and NDA. There is no scope for third, fourth or fifth parties this time. The people of Jammu and Kashmir are mature enough politically,” Mir told reporters.