Candidates turn prison past into campaign currency for Lok Sabha polls in Kashmir

Prison past, and an ongoing sentence in one case, has become the poll plank of two prominent candidates in the Valley, where 60 candidates are in fray for three Lok Sabha seats.

Peoples Democratic Party youth leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, who contested from the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, and jailed legislator Engineer Rashid, vying from Baramulla, have centred their campaigns around their own jail terms as well as incarceration of other youths in the region.

These two ran similar campaigns on the theme, “Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se (Vote is our answer to jail terms)”.

While Engineer Rashid is still lodged in Tihar jail under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act charges, Waheed-ur-Rehman Para spent three years in various jails before being released last year.

Polling in Srinagar drew a three-decade high turnout of 36% and it had to do with political parties running high-decibel campaigns. Para, in particular, targeted the youth and held rallies at places when few leaders have tred in the past even late at night.

“When I filed the nomination, there was tremendous response from youth. As the time passed, more and more people joined our campaign despite minimal resources,” Para said. “Our voters are in jail or on bail. We started a door-to-door meeting as we could not afford tents, mics and stages. So we hit the streets, invited people and addressed the youth. Our voters see us as part of them because we don’t create barriers,” he added

Para also raised developmental issues, electricity woes, the need to bolster horticulture and address environmental issues during his campaign trail.

While the PDP youth president has retreated to his native Naira village for a brief period after polling in Srinagar, he will hit the road running again for former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s campaign. Mufti is contesting from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, which goes to polls on May 25.

Another young man in his late 20s, Abrar Rashid, who is the son of former legislator Engineer Rashid, has been a surprise hit amid the election frenzy in north Kashmir.

Spearheading the campaign for his jailed father, his rallies have attracted massive support. Flanked by his team composed mostly of youngsters, Abrar during his rallies across Baramulla has looked to strike an emotional chord with the public and drum up support for his jailed father.

“Your vote can prove pivotal in the release of my father, whom I haven’t seen for the last five years. My elderly grandfather and grandmother are eagerly waiting for their son, who has been suffering because he was raising issues of people,” he said Abrar in a rally at Bandipora while tears rolled down his cheek.

Abrar has also attacked local leadership for failing to raise a voice for his jailed father, saying, “We had 87 members in our assembly and three Parliament members, besides members those in the Rajya Sabha and legislative council. Nobody, however, raised a voice against my father’s incarceration because he has always stood for truth.”

Despite a late start, his campaign has been bolstered by the addition of new faces, especially cricketers, social workers and activists. The leader has also been using social media to accentuate their message.

Rashid is locked in with a triangular contest against Omar Abdullah and Sajjad Lone from Baramulla. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he had managed to poll over one lakh votes to finish third in a closely-fought battle.