SRINAGAR: The future of the heads of four political parties – NC’s Omar Abdullah, J&K Congress chief Tariq Hamid Karra, BJP unit chief Ravindra Raina and Apni Party’s Altaf Bukhari — is at stake in the second phase of J&K Assembly polls due September 25.Omar Abdullah, former J&K Chief Minister and NC vice president, who had earlier said that he would not contest Assembly polls till the statehood to J&K was restored, is contesting from two seats, Ganderbal and Budgam (in central Kashmir).Ganderbal was a stronghold of the Abdullahs and the constituency elected the CM. Omar faces stiff competition from PDP’s Bashir Ahmed Mir and former NC MLA Ishfaq Jabbar. There are two more candidates — jailed cleric Sarjan Barkati and ex-Kashmir chamber’s chief Sheikh Ashiq, a candidate of Er Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) in the fray.Omar is also contesting from the “safe seat” of Budgam and is banking on party MP and influential Shia leader Aga Ruhullah’s support.J&K BJP chief Ravindra Raina is contesting for the second time from Nowshera in border district of Rajouri. Raina, the firebrand leader, has been holding reins of BJP in J&K since the fall of PDP-BJP coalition government in June 2018 and abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. The election is also important for J&K Congress chief Tariq Hamid Karra, who is contesting from Central Shalteng in Srinagar. Karra is supported by NC and faces competition from his former colleague Noor Mohammad and NC rebel Irfan Shah.Altaf Bukhari floated Apni Party with other former PDP leaders in March 2020. He is contesting from the Chanapora seat in Srinagar. His party has been labeled as BJP’s proxy by NC, PDP and Congress.
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