SRINAGAR
Attributed to oversight and clerical mistake, it obviously is an interesting development: while Dr Farooq Abdullah’s assets have increased by 455 percent in five years, his age has grown by 10 years! In 2009, he had mentioned his age as 67 years and in 2014, he is 77. The broom carrying party had petitioned the Election Commission. But being new in politics, they did not know Dr Abdullah works in defiance of age and space matrix. In 1996, he fielded Agha Ruhullah even when he was a minor and took him his minister. So why should his nomination papers be rejected for a mistake?
BANIHAL
As the parties and individuals are pitted against each other for the Parliament, there are a few who have started working for the state’s big battle: the assembly. In Srinagar, former NC MP Mohammad Shafi Bhat’s daughter Hina has given up her medical profession and has announced her entry into politics. She is eyeing Amira Kadal. But a major development was former commissioner Bashir Runiyal. He had tens of thousands of people in Banihal, Ramban, Ramsu waiting for him on Thursday. Locals said they are tired of Wiqar’s theatrics and want Runiyal to replace him. Runiyal will join the ruling combination after winning the election as independent. Count a minister from Banihal well before the electioneering starts.
SHOPIAN
The ‘healing touch’ architect, Mufti Sayeed and the PDP founder was in news for the wrong reasons from the place his party represents in the Vidhan Sabha. His motorcade tasted a bit of stone pelting by “angry” youth near Meemandar forcing him to take refuge in a police camp at Gagren. Mufti was campaigning for his daughter Ms Mehbooba. Some vehicles suffered damage but there were no injuries. For police, the stone pelters are miscreants. But for PDP it was NC managed. Even BJP candidate Mushtaq Noorabadi was also attacked as his motorcade also suffered some damage. It was so intense that CRPF guarding him resorted to aerial firing.
ISLAMABAD
Clerical mistakes make news which sometimes is interesting. One such thing took place last week when electoral rolls suggested PDP president Ms Mehbooba Mufti is a man! She was shown as the father of her two daughters Irtiqa and Iltija. Ms Mufti is contesting from south Kashmir and has been a lawmaker since 1996. A single mother, she once represented this constituency in the Parliament as well. Officials have said it was not the final electoral roll and that will be mistake free. Not a mishtake!
JAMMU
It might have been slightly embarrassing that Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chief Minister, was asked to prove his identity by a presiding officer Maharaja Krishan at Jammu DPS on April 10 when the Jammu seat witnessed 68% participation amid a few violent incidents. The situation was saved by another Congressman Ravi Angral who gave a surety paper on Azad’s behalf declaring Azad as the district president of the party, something that even BJP did not object to. So Azad who is contesting from Udhampur was bailed by a Congressman. But will he get the same support from his constituency that has a good Modi effect in middle class?
DODA
Congress minister Abdul Majid Wani is not perturbed only because Rs 25 lakh has been illegally withdrawn from his account. His latest problem is that when he presented a Karakuli, the lamb-cap, to Rahul Gandhi, he could not use it. After wearing it for a bit of time, Rahul gave it to his personal staff. The reason was disclosed by Rahul buddy Omar. He said the fine good cap was slightly tighter for Rahul’s head. Next time, he said, Wani will make it bigger. But the event has excited the Brahimins living in Chenab valley. They say the throne is too hot that Rahul can manage because the honour was given to him and it did not fit! And interesting sentence was also credited to Wani: “With the help of UPA, hum nay pahadiyoun ko cheer diya hai”.
J&K Bank jumped to its highest ever price of Rs1750 on NSE and Rs 1744 on BSE and recorded an appreciation of 4.25 pc and 5.07 pc respectively during the day.
Government has told the High Court that out of 1663 food samples taken in Jammu, 287 were substandard, misbranded and unsafe. In Kashmir out of 1405, 344 samples fall in the same category.
