SRINAGAR: The nomination form of incarcerated Kashmiri politician Engineer Rashid, nominated as the Awami Ittehad Party’s (AIP) candidate for the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in north Kashmir, was formally received by his party from the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Baramulla on Friday.
Confirming the receipt of the nomination form, AIP spokesman Firdous Baba informed news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the party had nominated a covering candidate, Prince Parvez, who is also the party’s general secretary, to handle formalities in Engineer Rashid’s absence. Parvez collected the form from the DC office today on behalf of Engineer Rashid.
Baba further revealed that the party has dispatched its legal team to New Delhi to ensure all necessary formalities are in order for filing Engineer Rashid’s nomination. The Election Commission of India has been contacted, and the party has been informed about the required procedures. Within the next couple of days, the AIP intends to file Engineer Rashid’s nomination. Baba expressed confidence in Er Rashid’s track record and public support.
“We will initiate our campaign once the form is accepted and will not leave a single corner of this constituency untouched during our campaign trail,” Baba told KNO, expressing hope that the people of Baramulla will support Er Rashid wholeheartedly.
“People are aware of his commitments and achievements. It is an era of social media. People know which politician has done what in the last five years. We will initiate our campaign once the form is accepted and will not even leave a single corner of this constituency during our campaign trail. We hope people will not dishearten us. What we feel on the ground is that people regret that it should have been Er Rashid instead of Mohammad Akbar Lone in the parliament,” Baba said.
In the 2019 Parliament polls, Engineer Rashid’s unexpected performance as an Independent candidate turned heads. He secured an impressive 1.01 lakh votes, trailing the National Conference (NC) winner, Mohammad Akbar Lone, by a mere 31,192 votes and falling short of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) candidate by only 827 votes.
Baba highlighted the unique circumstances surrounding Engineer Rashid’s candidacy, noting that he is currently the only politician behind bars among the contenders. He emphasized that the government cannot detain an individual indefinitely without due judicial process. The AIP spokesman expressed confidence that a victory in the elections would facilitate Rashid’s release.
“Once we win and get people’s court, the court will be compelled to set him free,” Baba said.