Bhat Yasir
As the race for the Kashmir elections picked up, prominent socio-political activist and DDC Sangrama Irfan Hafiz Lone joined Congress on Saturday.
Lone, who is also a lawyer, was among the advocates who represented petitions against the abrogation of Article 370 in the Supreme Court.
Sources told The Kashmiriyat that Lone is likely to be a candidate for the Kreeri-Wagoora constituency, where he will enjoy the support of the National Conference.
In 2020, he won the DDC Sangrama seat as an independent candidate, defeating Shoaib Nabi Lone, who is now part of Engineer Rasheed’s Awami Ittehad Party.
He said, “I have been in the public eye for the past 25 years. I was protesting at Jantar Mantar for our rights when that place was unknown to most people.”
“I have never joined any political party before in my life. In the recent DDC elections, I even defeated candidates who had the support of parties,” Lone said.
He continued, “Neither the fractured mandate nor the creation of parties on every street is beneficial for us.”
Expressing apprehensions, he said, “It seems like the creation of parties on every street in Kashmir is the policy of someone.”
He said that people suggested him that he should join the NC-Congress alliance. “This alliance is beneficial for us.”
Lone is likely to face Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP’s Basharat Bukhari and independent candidate Safina Beig in the Kreeri-Wagoora constituency as opponents.
While addressing a gathering at Tapper village in Kreeri, Lone requested people to support the NC-Congress alliance. “The Congress party played a major role in the independence of India. They will never join hands with the BJP,” he said.
“I heard that we will be divided by fielding independent candidates house by house,” Lone claimed.