Local body polls: Re-polling in Kashmir as PoK candidates contested
What's the story
Re-election is underway in two District Development Council (DDC) constituencies in north Kashmir on Monday, two years after the contesting candidates were found to be Pakistani nationals. The State Election Commission (SEC) necessitated the polls in Hajin-A of Bandipora and Drugmulla in Kupwara district. The votes will be counted on Thursday and the poll process will be wrapped up on December 12.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The DDC elections were held in December 2020, but polls for these two seats were later declared null and void. Soomia Sadaf, an independent candidate from Drugmulla, furnished wrong information on Form-6, while Shazia Aslam, the contestant from Hajin-A, moved to Kupwara in 2010. Both hail from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) but illegally entered India under a government rehabilitation policy for surrendered militants.
Details
Battle between National Conference and People's Conference
Both seats are reserved for women. The polling in Hajin-A began at 7 am and a 3.13% voter turnout was recorded in the first hour with 511 voters. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Apni Party, and the recently-formed Democratic Azad Party are in the fray, the main contest is said to be between state parties, the National Conference and People's Conference.
Candidates
PDP writes to SEC to withdraw poll symbol
The People's Conference (PC) is supporting Shabnam Lone, who contested the 2020 election on People's Democratic Party's (PDP) ticket. After the re-polling schedule was announced, the PDP and PC wrote to the SEC to withdraw the inkpot and pen symbol allotted to Lone, as it's PDP's official symbol. The SEC said it couldn't be done as the withdrawal of nominations closed two years ago.
Information
Who are the candidates from other parties?
As many as 42 polling stations have been set up in Drugmulla where 42 candidates are contesting. Among the total five candidates in Hajin-A are National Conference-backed independent candidate Abida, Ateeqa supported by PC, and Naaza fielded by Apni Party.
Rehabilitation
Around 400 women married former militants, moved to India
The invalidated candidates, Sadaf and Aslam, are among nearly 400 Pakistani-origin women who married former Kashmiri Indian militants, reported Daily Excelsior. The men crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in the early 1990s to receive arms training. They married Pakistani women and later shunned militancy. They fled PoJK to enter India through Nepal along with their wives under the rehabilitation scheme.