Azad makes maiden entry into J-K Assembly, PDP suffers jolts

Srinagar, Apr 27 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad made a maiden entry into the Assembly as the Congress and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shared honours today with the main opposition the National Conference and an Independent candidate in the byelections held in four assembly segments on April 24.

Mr Azad won the Bhaderwah Assembly by-election with over 58000 votes against his nearest BJP rival Dhanatar Singh.

The defeat of Javid Hussain Baigh, nephew of Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig, from Sangrama assembly constituency against the NC supported independent candidate Shoaib Lone is being considered a setback for the PDP. Shoaib wrests the seat, represented by his assassinated father Dr Ghulam Nabi Lone, from the PDP.

The Congress and PDP will retain their strength--20 and 17 respectively-- in the house while the NC, with 24 seats, will be one seat less when compared to 2002 results.

The Congress retained the Bhaderwah seat while PDP lost in Sangrama to an independent but won in Rafiabad, the seat earlier represented by the NC. The NC retained the Pattan seat.

Mr Azad, who was not member of any house, got 62072 votes against Mr Singh's 4057. Mr Singh's security money was forfeited.

The former power minister Mohammed Sharif Niaz, nephew of Mr Azad had resigned on March one last to vacate the seat for Mr Azad, who took over as Chief Minister of the Jammu and Kashmir in November last year.

Mr Azad had unsuccessfully contested from neighbouring Inderwal constituency of Doda district in 1977.

During that time, Mr Azad had polled 959 votes and had even lost his security deposit. The winning candidate Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh of the National Conference had polled 5296 votes while Abdul Gani Goni of the Janata Party had polled 2530 votes.

The PDP suffered a setback in the Sangrama constituency where Javid lost to an independent candidate Shoaib Lone by a margin of 6324 votes. Javid polled 12208 votes while Shoaib got 18532 to emerge winner from the seat earlier represented by his father on PDP ticket. Shoaib was supported by the NC and a number of rebel PDP leaders openly campaigned for him.

However,the PDP had some satisfaction after its candidate Mohammad Dilawar Mir was re-elected from Rafiabad seat after defeating the NC candidate Advocate Mohammad Maqbool Mir by a margin of 7559 votes.

Mr Dilawar, who represented the constituency in 2002 on NC ticket before defecting to PDP, polled 28138 votes against 20579 votes got by Mr Mir.

The NC retained the Pattan seat after its candidate Dr Mustafa Kamal, brother of former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, defeated former minister Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari by a margin of 2767 votes.

Dr Kamal, who contested from the seat for the first time polled 26736 votes against 23969 votes got by Mr Ansari.

Mr Ansari had won from the seat in 2002 on NC ticket. However, he resigned from the NC and the seat and joined the PDP.

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