The hearts of the candidates of the ‘Lal Chowk’ assembly constituency, which is called the heart and mind of Kashmir, are pounding. Everything seems normal here but there is a lot of turmoil inside.

Lal Chowk is bustling with tourists. Security personnel deployed at every corner are pointing towards taking extra precautions. Election posters, banners, and flags are not visible. Voters are avoiding speaking their hearts out. As soon as the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections is over, political parties have put in their strength for the second phase. In this fearful but peaceful atmosphere, it cannot be said at the moment which party’s representative will the people here send to the assembly.

This assembly seat is special for the Bharatiya Janata Party because Lal Chowk is also included in the 19 seats of Kashmir on which BJP has fielded candidates. A total of ten candidates including those from the National Conference, PDP, and his party are trying their political luck here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already held a rally for the BJP candidate. After the rally, when I went to Lal Chowk to talk about the city’s political atmosphere, people were seen avoiding talking. When Athar agreed to a discussion at the breakfast shop, he lashed out at the Abdullah and Mufti families who ruled Kashmir. He said, that during their rule there used to be strikes, and bullets used to be fired. On the question of Lal Chowk being lively till late at night and whether he would vote for the BJP, he said, that whatever may happen, it is not easy to accept the lotus symbol here.

Outside Sher-e-Kashmir Park, Zubair admitted that the BJP candidate is being considered in the fight because of Modi’s public rally, but in reality, it will not have much impact. People can be brought to the rally by managing them. They don’t need to vote. In Kashmir, NC Engineer Rashid’s candidates are fighting the election with full strength. Independents are spoiling the calculations.

BJP has placed its bet on 40-year-old bio-medical engineer Ejaz Hussain. 50-year-old Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed is in the fray on NC’s ticket. He holds a PG degree in sociology. PDP has given the ticket to 35-year-old Zuhaib Yusuf Mir. Zuhaib has his PG degree in economics from Britain. 52-year-old Mohammad Ashraf Mir has entered the electoral fray from his party in Jammu & Kashmir. He is the uncle of the PDP candidate. In this way, there is a fight between uncle and nephew from this seat.

Article written by and Editorial credit: State Bureau Chief Himanshu Nauriyal.