The Last Election Of J And K State: Meet Four Candidates In The Fray

In 1992, when Bharatiya Janata Party leaders arrived in Srinagar to hoist the tricolor at Lal Chowk, in the heart of the city, Mohammad Ashraf Azad joined them. He also struck up a bond with one Narendra Modi, then a functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Soon afterward, he became one of the first members of BJP in the Valley.

Nearly three decades later, Modi is prime minister. Azad, now 50, is a sarpanch in the Soibugh area of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
Proud of his Modi connection, he is standing for the post of block development council chairman in Soibugh in elections scheduled for October 24.

The councils are the second layer in Jammu and Kashmir’s three-tier Panchayati raj system. These will be the first block development councils in Jammu and Kashmir, which has had a dysfunctional Panchayati raj system for decades. They will also be the last elections to be held in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

On August 5, the government stripped Jammu and Kashmir of special status under Article 370 and split the state into two Union Territories. On October 31, the government decision will come into force.

The council elections have been controversial for various reasons. First, they take place amid shutdowns to protest against the government’s decision and an internet blackout.

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