Omar Abdullah hot favourite among women voters

Pattan, Baramulla, Apr 24 : ''We will vote for Omar Abdullah... He is good and speaks well,'' said two teenaged girls as they were about to cast their ballot for the first time at a polling station in Pattan constituency today.

''I am sure he will work for the development of our area,'' said 20-year-old Shabroz of Chakpora village in Pattan constituency.

When reminded that National Conference (NC) Chief Omar Abdullah was not contesting the by-elections from the constituency, she retorted, ''it doesn't matter. We will vote for his party.'' Echoing her views, 19-year-old Shanoo said there was no political leader in the entire Jammu and Kashmir as ''articulate and sincere'' as Mr Abdullah.

''He is genuine and speaks from his heart. He is the future of the state. It doesn't matter who his party has fielded from our constituency,'' the two girls gushed as they headed for the polling station set up at Mirgund near here to vote for the first time.

The NC has fielded Sheikh Mustaffa Kamal, the uncle of Mr Abdullah and brother of former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, from the Pattan constituency against Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and top Shia cleric Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari.

UNI