Srinagar: Rebutting the reports about the Congress being allegedly involved in cross voting during the south Kashmir polls held on April 24, the coalition candidate for the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat and senior National Conference leader Dr Mehboob Beg Saturday stated that the Congress cadres in South Kashmir tried their best to transfer their vote into his support.
Beg told KNS over phone that on the day of polling, Congress leaders were in the forefront to support its coalition partner National Conference and that their support will yield results on May 16. “We have to wait till the results are out; nothing can be said or predicted offhand.”
However, Beg said that he is confidant to emerge victorious once again from the Anantnag turf as according to him the people this time in large numbers voted for the coalition. “Yes there was boycott in some areas. It was due to the fear caused by the killing that took place before the polling day. We can say that there was also the militant presence in various areas of south Kashmir due to which people preferred to stay indoors.”
Beg who is also a sitting parliament member from South Kashmir’s Anantnag stated that the Congress leaders including Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Mohammad Amin Bhat besides others tried their best to garner support for his win and that it is a mere propaganda being spread by the opposition parties that Congress did the cross voting. “PDP is trying to boost the morale of its cadre in North Kashmir as the same has already accepted defeat before the election in Baramulla constituency.”
He stated that the recent statement of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti wherein she appreciated the police and civil administration for the smooth conduction of polls in Srinagar parliamentary constituency compels him to ask the PDP president that is she ‘jittery’ about south Kashmir. “Boycott call was given by Mohammad Yasin Malik and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, PDP should ask them instead of training guns at NC.”
Beg stated that he is confident that he will win the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat once again like 2009 and that the statement of Mehbooba has made him more confident about his victory. “I can’t tell you how much would be the margin but yes I am sure I will win Anantnag seat,” Beg remarked. Anantnag went for polls on April 24 amid clashes at various places in the constituency with protesters at stones at polling booths.