Shopian: The twin constituencies of Shopian and Wachi will vote along with 16 other seats of Jammu and Kashmir in the fourth phase of Assembly elections on December 14. Situated in South Kashmir Valley, both the seats are in Shopian district which is famous for its apples and walnuts, and the primary grudge of its residents are poor condition of roads and lack of electricity which they say has stopped the area from realising its full agricultural potential.
With an agrarian economy, apple town Shopian is dotted with several small villages surrounded by vast tracts of agricultural land. But the district is a picture of complete neglect with its residents accusing the Omar Abdullah government of not doing anything to improve the living condition of the people.
At Shopian's Vehil village 60-year-old Mohammed Yakub Rather claims that candidates visit them only during elections and never come backwards. Rather says his village remains without power for several days at a stretch which not only makes it tough for them but also affects students.
"We are near Srinagar but no leader comes here to enquire about us. After seeking our votes, all of them go away and lead a comfortable life while we struggle. We have to pay a fixed amount every month even if there is no electricity," says Rather.
Interestingly Peoples Democratic Party has two candidates in Shopian. While the main candidate is 66-year-old Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, the party also put up his son Zubair Yousuf Bhat, 35, as a back-up. The candidature of Mohammad Yousuf Bhat came as a surprise to even many PDP workers as the party ignored 2008 winner Abdul Razaq Wagay and district president Mohammad Shafi Banday.
National Conference candidate Sheikh Mohammad Rafi had won from Shopian in 1996. He is the son of late NC leader Sheikh Mansoor who won from the seat thrice in 1970s and 80s. Mansoor was later assassinated in the 1990. Rafi's camp is worried as NC rebel Shabir Ahmad Kullay is in the fray as an independent.
While the main contest is between the PDP and NC, what has made the contest very interesting is that both the parties have angered their local leaders while giving tickets and are facing rebellion.
In the neighbouring Wachi constituency which PDP President Mehbooba Mufti won in 2008, the ruling NC has a strong candidate in Showkat Hussain Ganie. Mehbooba won the Lok Sabha election from Anantnag and vacated Wachi leaving the party to find a new candidate.
Initially PDP leader Mohammed Khalil Naik, who won from Wachi in 2002 as Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate, was the frontrunner but ultimately the party placed its bets on late National Conference MLA Abdul Jabbar Mir's son Aijaz Ahmad Mir.
But with Ganie, a member of the Legislative Council, enjoying a lot of goodwill unlike several of his party colleagues in other constituencies, Mir is facing a tough time with Naik, contesting as an independent, also expected to cut into his votes.
Mehbooba won from Wachi in 2008 defeating Ganie easily but her absence has given hope to the NC. But poor roads, lack of healthcare and educational facilities, massive power cuts and not much support for the agricultural sector are haunting the ruling NC.
Though terror groups are very active in the district and have even killed a sarpanch Mohammad Sultan Bhat just a few hundred metres from his residence in Shopian's Nazneenpora on November 30, but the voters are determined to come out and exercise their franchise.
Unlike most parts of Kashmir Valley, Shopian and Wachi are witnessing a tough contest between the PDP and NC.
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