‘Engineer Rashid’ as he is popularly known, or Sheikh Abdul Rashid, emerged as the giant slayer in the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, defeating former chief minister Omar Abdullah by a massive vote margin in the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat.
He is in jail in connection with a terror-funding case, since the National Investigation Agency arrested him in August 2019.
Nobody from his family has ever fought in a Lok Sabha election from this seat as they have always fought from the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.
“As a family member, we used to demand that he be released, but, now it is not just about the family, Rashid now represents 17.5 lakh people.
“I do not think Rashid would know that he has won,” he said.
‘Engineer Rashid’ as he is popularly known, or Sheikh Abdul Rashid, emerged as the giant slayer in the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, defeating former chief minister Omar Abdullah by a massive vote margin in the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat. The former MLA from the Awami Itihad Party, who is from Langate area in Kupwara district, is currently lodged in Tihar jail on terror charges.
Rashid won the Baramulla seat by a margin of 2,04,142 votes. He is in jail in connection with a terror-funding case, since the National Investigation Agency arrested him in August 2019.
Hundreds of his supporters thronged his native village Lach Mawar in north Kashmir to congratulate his family, especially his sons who led his campaign, as news of the leader’s unassailable lead over the National Conference vice-president came in. Rashid has represented Langate in the erstwhile J&K assembly twice.
As Abdullah conceded defeat and congratulated Rashid, people were seen lining up in long queues towards the leader’s residence, while his supporters burst crackers and raised slogans. “I think it is time to accept the inevitable. Congratulations to Engineer Rashid for his victory in north Kashmir. I don’t believe his victory will hasten his release from prison nor will the people of north Kashmir get the representation they have a right to but the voters have spoken and in a democracy that is all that matters,” he said in a post on X.
No one knew that Rashid would throw his hat into the ring, especially to fight the elections against Abdullah who was taking a political risk by contesting from Baramulla. Nobody from his family has ever fought in a Lok Sabha election from this seat as they have always fought from the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.
The massive sympathy vote for Rashid was unprecedented and the widely public participative poll campaign carried out by his son worked in the jailed leader’s favour. The people have voted for him, overlooking completely the promises and the high-profile campaigns run by the NC and the PC.
Rashid’s brother Sheikh Khurshid thanked the people of the constituency for voting in huge numbers for him. “This is not our win, but people’s win. We are thankful to the people, especially youth and women who played an important role,” he said, adding that some people might think of voters as their inheritance, “but today, a common man has shown that a voter is not anyone’s inheritance and every candidate stands to win”.
Khurshid assured the people that Rashid’s constituency incharges across the parliamentary seat will address their issues. “I am hopeful as a voter that we will get a better representation in Parliament now,” he added.
The jailed leader’s brother said the demand for his release was now not restricted to his family. “As a family member, we used to demand that he be released, but, now it is not just about the family, Rashid now represents 17.5 lakh people. So, the government should respect the sentiments, aspirations and the people’s political representation in Parliament and release him soon,” he said, adding he has not spoken to Rashid about the results.
“I do not think Rashid would know that he has won,” he said. “We miss him… but today, we do not feel it as we have seen so much love of people and their acceptance of their representative.”
(With agency inputs)
