With over 20,000 local residents and several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) joining his campaign as volunteers in just two weeks, jailed Independent candidate Abdul Rashid Sheikh, widely known as Engineer Rashid, has upended the poll calculus of two political bigwigs — National Conference (NC) candidate Omar Abdullah and J&K Peoples Conference (JKPC) candidate Sajad Lone — in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency where polls will be held on May 20.
Mr. Rashid, a former MLA, is using a ‘pressure cooker’ as his poll symbol and the steam of his electioneering has forced even his rivals, the NC and the Peoples Democratic Party, to acknowledge the challenge he poses. “The contest is between Mr. Rashid and the NC,” said Mr. Abdullah, who till recently saw Mr. Lone as his main rival.
The street optics and high-pitched slogans of his campaign, such as “Jail ka badla, vote saay (Will revenge jailing Rashid with vote)“ and “Naa jukne-wala, na-bikne wala, Engineer (Unflinching and unwavering, our Engineer)“, have become a war cry in north Kashmir. The momentum for Mr. Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) started to grow immediately after May 2, when Mr. Rashid’s nomination was accepted by the Election Commission.
