As the voting for the final phase of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir gets underway on Tuesday morning under tight security, controversial leader and Awami Ittehad Party leader Engineer Rashid has said that no party in Jammu & Kashmir would win more than 25 seats in the Assembly elections. There is a total of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir.
"No party will win more than 25 seats.Had I got one more week to campaign, we could have won 35-40 seats. Still, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) will emerge as a credible alternative," said Rashid, who defeated former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the recent Parliament elections.
The Congress-NC front had accused Rashid of being a 'BJP proxy' and a pawn in BJP's strategy to boost Independent candidates to divide votes. This, many believe, had affected Rasheed's chances, especially in Baramulla and Langate.
The opposition also points out the timing of Rashid's release from prison - he was not granted bail during Parliament elections even though he was a candidate. However, Rashid has rubbished suggestions that he has joined hands with the BJP.
#WATCH | Kupwara, J&K: Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) President Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid says, "Why will I join hands with the BJP? Power is a very small thing for me. I was an independent MLA and I would have joined any party. If power had been my priority I would… pic.twitter.com/CXzKxgY7vq
— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2024
Calling Jammu and Kashmir a hub of conspiracies, Rashid said his vision was the upliftment of Kashmiris. "Why will I join hands with the BJP? Power is nothing to me. I was an independent MLA and I could have joined hands with any party or Prime Minister Narendra Modi if power had been my priority. My only concern is to ensure the killings of innocent people stop in Kashmir," Rashid added.
He said the AIP will aim to bring permanent peace to Kashmir. "My priority is to look how how the leadership works after the mandate becomes clear. Will they like the traditional parties PDP, JKNC, INC, and BJP after winning elections roam like VVIPs," Rashid said.
The last of the three phases will see over 415 candidates contesting in 40 seats - 24 in the Jammu division and 16 in the Kashmir division. The assembly segments in the region going to the polls are Baramulla, Uri, Rafiabad, Pattan, Gulmarg, Sopore, and Wagoora-Kreeri (Baramulla district), Kupwara, Karnah, Trehgam, Handwara, Lolab, and Langate (Kupwara district), and Bandipora, Sonawari, and Gurez (Bandipora district).
