KL Report
SRINAGAR
Taking strong exception to the affirmation made by Taj Mohiuddin that half of the National Conference (NC) voters in Uri have voted for PDP candidate Muzaffar Hussain Beigh in just concluded Lok Sabha elections in Baramulla Constituency, senior NC leader Mohammad Shafi Uri on Friday blamed the Congress minister for failing to meet his commitment of support to the coalition candidate.
“He (Taj) is simply trying to cover up his failure of not fulfilling his commitment that he will make Congress voters to support the coalition candidate Shareef-u-Din Shariq. Instead of blaming the NC former workers, he should have told you how 12 Panchayat representatives affiliated with Congress met Mr Beigh pledging their support in elections. He should have told you how his right hand Congress associates in Uri worked in broad day light in favour of Mr Salam-u-Din Bajad (Peoples Conference candidate from Baramulla constituency),” Mohammad Shafi Uri said.
The senior NC leader who has remained cabinet minister many a times till 2002, said that Rafiq Balote, a prominent Gujjar leader and Sarpanch of Garkote village in Uri, who is also a close associate of Taj, openly worked for PC candidate Salam-u-Din Bajad. “Besides Balote, Congress Sarpanches of Zehanpora, Hakapalhi, Ijara, Pahlipora, Limber B, Bimyar, Nowshera A&B, Barnate, Trikanjan, Buniyar, Zamoorpattan, Salamabad, Chulan, Kalsan, Dachi, Sultan Daki, Shahdara, Nowarunda, Kalgaie, Jabla, Niloosa, Lacipora A& B, Miaan, Bijhama, Buniyar, Mohra have worked and voted for PDP and PC candidate,” Uri alleged.
Besides, these areas, the NC former minister said that block president Buniyar Abdul Hamid, Halqa presidents of Dawaran, Bagna, Salamabad, Dachina, Pahlipora, Manzgma, Zehanpora, Nowshera, Buniyar, Zamboorpattan, Sultan Daki, Miarian, kamlkote, Nowarunda, Gawalta, Dardkote, Kalgaie, Salamabd Nambal, Garkote, openly supported PDP and PC candidates and voted for them.
“This is a total betrayal of Congress workers in Uri against a commitment Mr Taj had made with the NC and Congress state leadership at Baramulla prior to the elections. Mr Taj had committed that his workers will give a lead to the coalition candidate wherever they have their own pockets but he even failed to get over a 1000 people in a public rally where Mr Omar Abdullah was scheduled to address,” Mr Uri informed.
He said that one fails to understand why Taj is now blaming the NC former workers who have no connection with the NC for the last over seven years. “The NC workers whom Mr Taj has mentioned in his cover up exercise have left the NC since 2007. Some of them are not in touch with the party since 2004. He had made a commitment in front of Mr Farooq Abdullah, Mr Omar, Mr Soz, Mr G A Mir, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir and other NC Congress leaders that he will support our candidate in Uri but now has resorted to cheap politics by saying that the so called NC voters did not vote because of resentment against my son in that constituency,” Uri observed.
The NC senior leader said that soon after the Congress workers including 12 Sarpanches meet with PDP candidate Muzaffar Hussian Beigh, he had already conveyed the same to Congress leadership. “But there was no action on part of Congress. In some booths Congress voters did not turn up or they openly voted for PDP and PC,” Mr Uri said, adding that still the NC candidate will take a lead in Uri because of NC’s own voter share which according to him has always remained intact. “It is the anti incumbency against Mr Taj that Congress voters have not come forward to vote for the coalition candidate,” he added. (KNS)
