A retired government headmaster, who is the face of Jamaat-e-Islami in north Kashmir, on Wednesday filed his nomination papers as an Independent candidate from Baramulla assembly segment, which in the past was considered as one of the strongholds of the banned organisation.

Accompanied by dozens of supporters, Abdul Rahman Shalla, 68,a well-known educationist and former Auqaf chairman, said they have decided to contest elections as Independent as Jamaat-e-Islami is still banned. The foundation of the organisation was laid in old town Baramulla in early 1940s.

“It’s not that Jamaat wasn’t participating in polls. Earlier, Jamaat contested elections many times, assembly, Parliament and municipal elections. The government should lift our ban so that we will be able to contest from all the seats,” he added.

Besides helping in the spread of education, Shalla is also involved in philanthropy in Baramulla and its adjoining areas. “Baramulla constituency has been ignored in the past, especially the town. I will try to become a voice for the people of Baramulla,” he said, adding that his manifesto is only about his constituency and all issues have been highlighted, especially those pertaining to town.

“My focus will be on the door-to-door campaigning and I am getting tremendous support from the people of my constituency. I will also try to forge a plan for our apple growers that is produced in big numbers in our district but faces problems,” said the 68-year-old educationist.

In the 1987 elections, senior Jamaat leader Ghulam Mohammad Safi, who was the then candidate of Muslim United Front, lost by a margin of 1,500 votes while NC candidate advocate Sheikh Mohammad Maqbool was declared elected. In the entire north Kashmir, Baramulla and Sopore has been strongholds of Jamaat in the past. Since 2002, the PDP has won all assembly elections from Baramulla.

Shalla will be locked in a contest with NC candidate and former legislator Javeed Baig and his uncle former deputy CM Muzzaffar Hussain Baig, who is contesting as an Independent candidate besides PDP spokesman Mohammad Rafique Rather.

The entry of Shalla has made the contest in Baramulla tough to predict, especially when Jamaat-e-Islami still has a good cadre in the town. In the last Lok Sabha elections, the party cadres had voted for Engineer Rashid who took more than 30,000 votes in Baramulla constituency followed by Omar Abdullah.

Jamaat is already backing five to six Independents in fray in the first phase and the tally could likely to be around 10 to 12 in the second and third phases. The deadline for the third phase ends on September 12.

In 2019, the Centre had imposed a five-year ban on the Jamaat, citing the outfit’s ties with terrorist groups. It was first been banned in 1975 and again in 1990 at the beginning of the militancy in Kashmir.

Almost all political leaders have welcomed participation of Jamaat in the elections, with former chief minister Omar Abdullah terming it a victory of democracy before advocating to lift the ban. PDP, Apni Party and People’s Conference have also have requested the Centre to revoke the ban on Jamaat. On Tuesday, Mehbooba Mufti while advocating lifting of ban on Jamaat said original Jamaat people are in jails.