No takers for self-rule, autonomy here
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Mendhar (Poonch), November 6
Here development remains an unfulfilled dream. Poor infrastructure and lack of basic amenities still haunt people in Mendhar, who hoped the previous Congress-PDP combine would bring in some relief.

The Mendhar constituency, in Poonch district, goes to poll in the first phase on November 17, which could see a tight finish between two major parties, the National Conference and the PDP.

The NC and the PDP may think the autonomy and self-rule cards may lure voters, people’s mood indicate that these parties have to promise more than just politics.

There are 77,853 voters in this assembly constituency of which 39,023 are male and 38,830 are female.

A total of 21 candidates, highest in Poonch, have filed their nomination papers for the constituency but the main challenge would be between the former MLA and senior NC leader Javed Rana, who represented this constituency in previous Assembly, and former minister and senior PDP leader Rafiq Khan, who won the seat in 1977 and 1983 elections.

The Congress has fielded Poonch district president Abdul Majid Khan who is not likely to make much a difference instead of eating into the votes of the PDP candidate.

Rana (from Gujjar community), who comes from the Kalaban area, is popular in Mankote block comprising Chattral and Kalaban and enjoys a support of his community, who roughly form 40 per cent of the voters.

PDP leader Rafiq Khan (from Pahari community), who is from Harni, has got a support in Balakote and his native area and is likely to get good Pahari votes, who form around 60 per cent of the voters here.

Abdul Majid Khan, who is from the Ari Saroti area is likely to get votes in the lower Mendhar area comprising Sakhi Maidan, Trana and Chunga.

As far as people are concerned, they would prefer implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) Scheme in majority of the villages and execution of construction of roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in most of the inaccessible villages.

In Balakote, one of the border blocks, which existed as a tehsil before 1965, voters want the status back to the area.