A Ph.D scholar from Shopian made headlines during the parliament elections earlier this year when he walked barefoot to campaign and show his support for jailed independent candidate Engineer Rashid. Now Baramulla Member of Parliament, Engineer Rashid defeated Omar Abdullah and Sajad Lone on the seat by a comfortable margin; one of the many reasons responsible for the victory of Engineer Rashid was the social media support he received.
One of the many events that hyped the candidature of Rashid was Mudasir Thoker, a youth from Shopian who traveled barefoot in support of Engineer Rashid. However, months after the decisive victory of Rashid, Mudasir feels betrayed and has publicly raised serious concerns about the leadership of the Awami Ittihaad Party (AIP).
Speaking to a media house, Thoker accused the party of “misleading and betraying” the youth of Kashmir, particularly regarding its selection process for candidates in the upcoming Jammu Kashmir Assembly elections. “What is AIP leadership’s answer to those who voted for them in the parliamentary elections? The youth supported them under the assurance that they wanted to cleanse politics and never will they give mandate to any former politician. But now, it appears that most of the candidates will be those who left other parties and joined AIP,” Thoker said.
Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh, brother of jailed AIP supremo has been declared the candidate of the party from Langate seat. Khursheed recently quit government job and has been one of the forefront campaigners for the party along with Engineer Rashid’s son– Abrar Rashid.
Other candidates filed by the party include Advocate Mursaleen from Sopore, Er Muneer Khan from Uri, Mohammad Muzaffar Dar from Rafiabad, Adil Nazir Khan from Gulmarg, Peerzada Firdous from Kupwara, Er Jahengeer Khan for Khansahib, Abdul Majid Banday for Handwara and Ashok Kumar Raina for Chamb.
In recent weeks, several senior leaders have joined a political party that has yet to be registered with the Election Commission of India. As a result, candidates affiliated with this party will be contesting the upcoming elections as independents, having been granted mandates by the party despite its unregistered status.
The allocation of mandates has sparked a sense of “betrayal” among several of the party’s star campaigners. Mudasir isn’t the only one feeling sidelined; Angad Singh Khalsa, a prominent activist since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, also shares similar sentiments. Khalsa, who spent several days campaigning for Engineer Rashid in North Kashmir during the parliamentary elections, now finds himself questioning the party’s recent decisions.
Mobilising support for the jailed Rashid, Angad along with his team of activists marched into the most far-flung villages of north Kashmir to seek votes. Today, Angad is among the many others who feel that the party lacks substance. “I did not want a mandate nor have I sought one from the party. But initially, I thought that Engineer’s victory would represent the victory of a sentiment, but with time, we feel that the party lacks substance. They do not even have knowledge about the basic political affairs, how the system works. They lack basic knowledge,” Angad told The Kashmiriyat.
Out on the streets
Engineer Rashid’s son, along with the party cadre, has taken to the streets to campaign for the first phase of the upcoming elections. While the crowd size has noticeably reduced compared to previous elections, the ability to draw such a turnout in south Kashmir remains a significant achievement, given the region’s political climate.
During the parliamentary elections, Engineer Rashid’s party managed to gather unexpectedly large crowds as his son and party leaders appealed to voters to support the party in order to “secure the release of jailed Engineer Rashid.” Party members took to the streets, raising slogans urging people to respond to Rashid’s incarceration with their votes. Memes also spread widely on social media, with some claiming that votes from the public would guarantee Rashid’s release. One viral meme depicted a plane landing at Srinagar Airport, captioned with “Rashid lands at Srinagar Airport” and a bold date of June 4, 2024—the day when the parliamentary election results were announced.
Experts have remarked that the campaign led by Engineer Rashid’s party was unlike anything witnessed in the region’s recent electoral history. “Since August 2019, numerous leaders have raised public concerns, but the outrage people feel found a unique expression in Rashid’s rallies,” noted Mir Muntazir, a political expert. He said that while the party avoided directly addressing the post-August 2019 situation, the arrest of Rashid itself became a powerful symbol of the political climate that followed the abrogation of Article 370. This symbolism, he argued, resonated deeply with the public, making the campaign stand out in the region’s electoral politics.
Muntazir suggested that the party had done their ground exercise so well and the public sentiment worked equally in their favour. He said, “They had done their homework quite well and the joining of youth, both educated and enthusiastic helped the campaign manifolds.”
“They were just extraordinary. It looked like everyone put their weight behind him and found one story or the other. Journalists, even international media, ran several reports which added to the hype. But the party did well to translate that crowd into votes,” he expressed.
The campaign, however, is unlikely to work this time, Muntazir suggests. “The political dynamics have changed a lot over the years. We have all witnessed what happened in the parliamentary elections. Anyone labelled as the B and C team of the ruling party lost its deposit too. People of the valley rejected everyone who came along with this label. But the label seems to have gotten stuck to Engineer Rashid’s party too. They seem to have lost direction too,” he feels.
The party unveiled its manifesto on Saturday, pledging the “unconditional release of all prisoners” currently held in various jails, a commitment that aligns with the sentiments of many Kashmiris. In addition to this, the party vowed to revoke Public Safety Act (PSA) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), further appealing to the region’s calls for justice and political reform.
During a press conference in Srinagar, party leaders also promised a ban on liquor sales and free medical tests in hospitals across Jammu Kashmir if elected. The manifesto further includes commitments to restore schemes and the autonomous status of the University of Kashmir, provide free computers to students who have passed the 8th standard, and revive the decades-old Darbar Move, which was canceled by the current administration.
Crisis within
The party, however, is facing a severe crisis as several top leaders have deserted the party in recent days. The exodus has raised questions about the party’s future and its commitment to its ideology. Mudasir Thoker, whose foot march from Shopian to Langate for Engineer Rashid, stated that the AIP had initially set a condition that no former affiliates of other political parties would be given a mandate.
However, according to him, the party has now welcomed several former politicians, contradicting their earlier promises. He further questioned the integrity of the party, asking, “What is AIP’s answer to the people? They have completely ignored the promises they made to the youth of Kashmir.”
The remarks come as the AIP faces growing scrutiny over its choices for candidates, amid widespread disillusionment among young supporters. State Media Advisor Mudasir Rasool and Tariq Rashid, who headed the Pattan assembly constituency, are among those who have left the party. Rasool and Rashid were key members of AIP and their departure is seen as a significant blow.
Rasool while talking to media said, “I feel ashamed to say that AIP is on sale. I’m being asked to compromise on several things but I’m not ready to compromise. We have also been tasked to campaign against the candidates of National Conference. I’m not ready for it.”
“They’re doing it to make benefit for a particular party by targeting another particular party. Now after meeting my workers and supporters of Rafiabad constituency, I have decided to resign from the AIP Party,” he said.
Earlier, Adil Nazir Khan, a star campaigner of AIP during the parliamentary elections, had raised several questions about the party’s direction in a live video on Facebook. The video has since been deleted after he was granted mandate by the party for Gulmarg assembly constituency.
Mohammed Rafiq Bhat, who is one of the founding members of the AIP is among those who have quit the party. He said that the downfall of the party started right after the takeover of the party by “parachuted” people. He issued a public apology to the youth of Kashmir who sentimentally voted for Engineer during the last parliamentary elections.
“We are extremely sorry to the youth of Kashmir. The party has lost its credibility. They are taking money for mandate distribution. Today his brother is promoting Khandani raaj (nepotism) in the party. We appeal to the appeal to stay away from this deceit. Everything happening in the party is a handiwork of the agencies,” said Rafiq.
Rafiq’s comments echo the public statement of Jammu Kashmir National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah. Addressing a rally in Ganderbal he had stated, “All these independent candidates are being backed by the agencies to divide the mandate in Kashmir valley. All these independents would go and sit in the lap of BJP, if the party needs them to form the government.”
Netizens are, meanwhile, criticizing AIP for allegedly promoting “Khandani Raj” (dynasty politics) within the party, despite its claims to be against it. The party has fielded Engineer Rasheed’s brother from the Langate constituency, sparking accusations of hypocrisy.
Political expert Mir Muntazir noted that Engineer Rashid’s influence from the last elections, along with his significant victory, continues to inspire many young people. His campaign in south Kashmir is gaining considerable support, largely due to the momentum of his recent win. “The crowds are clearly responding to his call,” said Muntazir. However, he added a note of caution, stating that politics in Kashmir is not black and white. “It remains to be seen whether the crowd turnout will actually convert into votes when the results are announced,” he said.
The developments have come at a critical time, with the Kashmir assembly elections almost on the edge. The AIP’s internal crisis may impact its performance in the polls, analysts say. The party leadership is yet to comment on the defections and the allegations.
The situation is being closely watched by political observers and AIP supporters, who are eager to see how the party responds to the challenge.