Fighting hard: Stakes high for National Conference, People's Democratic Party in Chrar-e-Sharief, Rajpora

SRINAGAR: Rajpora and Chrar-eSharief constituencies straddling a 20-km stretch in central Kashmir offer an interesting contrast as ruling National Conference's longtime finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather and People's Democratic Party's projected finance minister Haseeb Drabu are in the fray . Bitter critics of each other, they belong to different generations. Rather is seeking a re-election from Chrar for the seventh consecutive term, while for Drabu in Rajpora, this is the maiden attempt.

The constituencies are among 16 going to polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday , in the third phase that has also two Abdullahs among candidates: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Beerwa (he is also contesting from Sonawar) and his uncle Mustafa Kamal from Tangmarg. Given the stakes, Rajpora and Chrar have emerged crucial to the regional rivals.

Rather, a veteran from the Sheikh Abdullah days, has remained an unchallenged politician from this belt.But this time, it may not be easy for Rather.

The first indication came in the Lok Sabha polls when the belt voted against the NC. While the warning helped Rather work overtime, camp in the area and try to finish works that were hanging in fire, it gave PDP's Ghulam Nabi Lone a feeling that Rather is no more invincible.

For Drabu, the situation is different. The PDP replaced two-time MLA Syed Bashir to give mandate to him forcing Syed to contest independently . Drabu with a clean slate and a huge contribution in policymaking and public finance he was earlier economic adviser to the state and later heading J&K Bank for eight years is facing a peculiar issue. His rivals have painted him as an elite who barely lived in the village, telling people that he is “not one of us“. “For the last four months I live with the people, eat with them and interact with them and that has reduced the impact of the propaganda,“ Drabu said after addressing a village gathering at Tujan. “ A change is in the political atmosphere, but I am telling people that changing government is not the issue. We have to change the politics and the way it is being conducted."

His profile is helping him make people understand the importance of an enabling environment.Instead of jobs, he is promising situations that will create jobs and that has helped him access to youth, hitherto outside the electoral politics.