Jailed former legislator Engineer Rashid to contest Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla of Kashmir

Awami Ittehad Party has decided to field its incarcerated leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid popularly known as Engineer Rashid as the party’s candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla constituency of northern Kashmir.

The party spokesperson Firdous Baba informed that the decision has been taken after consultation with Rashid, who is currently in Tihar jail of Delhi. He has been in jail since 2019, when the National Investigation Agency charged him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He had contested 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the same constituency getting 1,02,168 votes, just 30,000 short of the winner Muhammad Akbar Lone of the National Conference.

“Our constitution gives us the right that a person in jail against whom the charges have not been proven can contest elections. Several leaders have fought elections from jail,” Baba said. He informed that the legal team of the party had consulted Rashid in jail, who had agreed to fight the elections.


“He lives in the hearts of the people and we are sure to get many more votes in this election. We will be fighting this election with a minimum budget but will appeal to people to contribute to ensure his success,” Baba said. The Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency is going for polls on May 20 and as of now only the People's Conference has announced Sajad Lone as its candidate from there.

“We are open to alliances with anyone having ideological resemblance with us. Some people talk about the release of prisoners, let them join us to support a candidate who is himself a prisoner,” Baba said.

The AIP spokesperson said that the legal team is ‘fighting for his release’ as soon as possible. “We respect the judiciary and are hopeful that the court will not disappoint us,” he said. Rashid has won two assembly elections in Kashmir in 2009 and 2014 from the Langate assembly constituency of northern Kashmir.