National Conference Fielding Non-Voters in Kashmir Stokes Row

New Delhi: The announcement of candidates by the National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, has sparked a debate. The NC has given party tickets to three individuals who are non-voters in segments they are contesting from.

The contenders, Mian Altaf, Aga Ruhullah, and Omar Abdullah, are not enrolled as voters in the constituencies they are contesting from.

This move has drawn attention to the significance of local representation in elections, as voters often feel connected with candidates who are from their own segments.

However, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Peoples Conference (PC) have also carefully fielded candidates who are enlisted as voters in their respective constituencies.

For instance, Mehbooba Mufti from the PDP is enrolled as a voter in the south Kashmir-Rajouri segment, while Sajad Lone from the PC is a voter in the Baramulla-Kupwara constituency.

However, there are exceptions, such as Zaffar Iqbal Manhas from Apni Party, who does not figure in the voting list in south Kashmir despite contesting from there.