SRINAGAR, May 24: “Hope you don’t disappoint me and give me an opportunity to be your advocate in Parliament,” said PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Friday, making an impassioned appeal to voters ahead of the polling in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat.
In her video message posted on X, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister urged voters to consider who has supported them in difficult times before casting their votes. The Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, controversially redrawn, is set to vote on Saturday in the penultimate round of the seven-phase elections. Mehbooba Mufti, working to revive her party’s fortunes after its alliance with the BJP in 2015, is up against National Conference’s Mian Altaf and 18 other candidates.
“Tomorrow, you all will go to vote. I request you to think before casting your vote about who has supported you in difficult times,” Mehbooba said. She emphasized that her family, her party, and she herself have paid a significant price for advocating the cause of the people. “Despite that, I rose above caste and religion, and raised my voice for justice and will continue to do so,” she added.
Mehbooba urged voters to support her, promising to be their advocate in Parliament and to raise the issues they face. She faces a tough contest not only from prominent Gujjar leader and former minister Mian Altaf Ahmad but also from Apni Party’s Zafar Iqbal Manhas, who has managed to secure BJP support in the Pir Panjal region. Additionally, the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) of former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has fielded Mohammad Saleem Parray from the seat.
Mehbooba’s appeal underscores the high stakes in this election, as she seeks to leverage her experience and commitment to the people to win their trust and votes.
