Lok Sabha elections 2014: Single mom Mehbooba Mufti to take on Mehboob Beg in Anantnag

The land of willows and saffron will see members of two powerful, political families clash for the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir on April 24.

But while Dr Mehboob Beg of the National Conference (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) may both be on opposing ends of the field, they share a common link in Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Mehboob was a close aide of Mehbooba's father Mufti when the two men were in the Congress.

Mehbooba, a law graduate, is a reluctant politician. The 55-year-old, single mother of two plunged into the electoral fray in 1996 from her home constituency of Bijbhera at the instance of her father, then the tallest Congress leader of J&K. She won, and has since never lost an assembly or parliamentary election from south Kashmir. She is confident that she will continue to lead the state in its quest for change to ensure accountability in the political system and a responsible government.

"Unfortunately, until now, those, who have taken votes in the name of the state's dignity, autonomy and other emotional issues, have always collaborated with the tormenters of the people of the state," she said.

Mehbooba said that the PDP has given people relief from unauthorised arrests, unaccounted killings and crackdowns during its short stint in the state (2002-2005). "The NC government has only few things to its credit, which include the introduction of chili grenades and pellet guns to be used against the youth, who dare to raise their voice against injustice and misrule."

Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency has around 13.04 lakh voters, which includes 6.70 lakh males and 6.01 lakh females. Once considered an NC bastion, south Kashmir has now become a political borough of the PDP; the party won 12 of 16 assembly segments here in the 2008 assembly election. NC, which rules the state, has just one MLA from four non-PDP south Kashmir districts while its ally, the Congress has two. The fourth seat is with the CPI (M).

Besides, the baggage of Mehboob's party is weighing hard against him. The killing of 120 youth in the summer of 2010, the NC government's inability to check corruption or withdraw the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act have marked chief minister Omar Abdullah government's five year rule in the state.

The anti-NC sentiment could work against Mehboob. Ghulam Hassan Mir of Bijbhera said the NC government had failed to fulfill its promises to the people. "There is no security for the people. Any security men can enter our houses in the dead of the night. Where is the promise of repeal of AFSPA," he said.

A farmer in Awantipora, Abdul Majid Dar, told dna: "f a pregnant woman in a village goes into labour, we have to shift her to a hospital in Srinagar. But look at the roads in the villages. You should be brave to travel given the potholes."

But Mehboob is maintaining a brave front. "I am more confident of winning this time than (I was in) 2009. There is strong anti-incumbency against PDP MLAs in south Kashmir," said Mehboob. "Plus, there is a sizeable vote bank of the Congress, our alliance partner. Coupled with my track record as an MP and the developmental work I have done, I am sure that I will come home with a huge margin."

Mehboob is the son of former state deputy chief minister Mirza Afzal Beg, who negotiated the Indira-Sheikh accord of 1974. The accord paved the way for the grand old party of India to start a new innings in electoral politics in Jammu and Kashmir. Mehboob, a 65-year-old medico, was once a close aide of Mehbooba's father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. But the had a fall out and Mehboob joined the National Conference and eventually contested the assembly elections against his mentor in 2008 from Anantnag constituency. He lost the election, but had his revenge just a year alter when he defeated PDP's Peer Mohammad Hussain from the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency by 5,000 votes.

Poll planks
13.04 lakh voters in Anantnag constituency will cast their franchise on April 24.

PDP candidate Mehbooba Mufti will highlight the NC's corruption, death of 120 youth in last summer's agitation, Shopian 'rape and murder', Afzal Guru's hanging, transfer of J&K Bank to RBI, use of pellet guns, chilli grenades, pepper guns and several scams that have rocked the state.

NC candidate Dr Mehboob beg hopes to pin down PDP on the issue of a covert truck with BJP and its PM candidate Narendra Modi. NC is also raking up Gaw Kadal, Bijbihera and Handwara massacres, which happened when PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was Union home minister.