The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : It's Mehbooba versus Mehboob here

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Tuesday, Apr 06, 2004

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National - Elections 2004

It's Mehbooba versus Mehboob here

SRINAGAR

The ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti's, decision to contest the Lok Sabha election from Anantnag, spices up what would have otherwise been a rather unremarkable race in Kashmir. Ms. Mufti will be up against the National Conference nominee Mehboob Beig. Both Ms. Mufti and Mr. Beig have many things in common. Both are fighting a parliamentary election for the first time in their career; both come from prominent political families. While Ms. Mufti's father is the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Mr. Beig's father, the late Mirza Afzal Beig, was one of Kashmir's top politicians, besides being a close associate of the late Sheikh Abdullah. Ms. Mufti started her political career from the Bijbehara Assembly segment and was elected for the first time in 1996. She, however, resigned as a Congress MLA in 1999 and founded the People's Democratic Party along with her father. She later shifted to Pahalgam in the 2002 Assembly elections. Ms. Mufti is seen as the driving force behind her party's splendid victory, which ousted the NC from power after nearly three decades.

The Anantnag constituency has emerged as a prestigious one, with both the parties taking time to decide their candidates. The PDP, after giving serious thought to whom it should field, decided to put up Ms. Mufti. The party did not want to take a risk at this critical juncture, explained a party leader. The same is the case with the NC, which wanted to make a race of it. In the absence of any leader of significance who could match Ms. Mufti's charisma, the party had no option but to field Mr. Beig, who represents the Anantnag constituency in the Assembly. The NC reportedly considered Rafi Ahmed Mir, a young leader, but he is said to have refused, given his defeat twice at the hands of the PDP in the Assembly elections. Mr. Mir fought unsuccessfully against Ms. Mufti in the 2002 Assembly elections.

In the other important race in Kashmir, the PDP has decided to field Ghulam Nabi Lone, a known face from Badgam and currently member of the Legislative Council, against the two-time Member of Parliament, Omar Abdullah for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat. Given his strong base in Budgam district, which forms part of Srinagar constituency, he is all set to slug it out with Mr. Abdullah.

Shujaat Bukhari

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