Shabnam Lone defies boycott call, says yes to polls

Srinagar, Nov 20 : Defying a poll boycott call, Shabnam Lone, daughter of slain Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Gani Lone has decided to contest the state assembly election as an Independent candidate from Kashmir's Kupwara constituency.

Soon after filing her papers, Shabnam, an advocate by profession said contesting the polls was not her choice but of hundreds of her father's followers and the people of her constituency.

On the decision of her brothers Sajjad Gani Lone and Bilal Gani Lone to start an anti-poll campaign, She said: "They are right in their own way and this is their personal decision."

"My brothers are separatist, and it's there right too boycott the elections, in the same mannerism I also have a right to contest election, because I am not a member of Hurriyat conference," she added.

She thinks that the elections will not hamper the Kashmir issue as they are only meant for the day-to-day issues of the locals.

There has been mixed reaction to the residents of Kupwara to her decision.

"We don't have any leader whom we can call good, previously Shabnam use to profess that independence should be our soul agenda but now she herself is contesting elections, all I want to ask her is; that if she wanted to contest the elections only then why they sent our children too Pakistan," said Gulam Hassan, a resident.

"Shabnam has a chance to win in Kupwara constituency as her father has done a lot for the area," said Advocate Bushan Lal Pandita.

Kupwara district, which is going to polls for five seats of Karnah, Kupwara, Lolab, Handwara and Langate on November 30, is having 341946 electors and a total of 448 polling booths are being set up across district.

ANI