Clean sweep for NC in Srinagar

The National Conference (NC), which is emerging as the single largest party in a hung assembly in Jammu and Kashmir, has made a clean sweep of the eight constituencies in Srinagar.

Considered to be stronghold of separatists, the city recorded 20 per cent polling in the final phase of elections held on December 24.

NC patron Farooq Abdullah won from both the constituencies of Hazratbal and Sonawar. The immediate rival of Abdullah in both the seats were PDP candidates.

The PDP suffered a shock defeat in Batmaloo constituency where its former minister and general secretary Tariq Hameed Karra lost to Irfan Shah of NC by a margin of 2,500 votes.

Karra had wrested the seat from NC in a bypoll in 2004.

NC candidates Mubarak Gul, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Shameema Firdous, Naseer Ahmad Wani and Pir Aafaq won from Idgah, Khanyar, Habba Kadal, Amirakadal and Zadibal constituencies, respectively.

In 2002 elections, National Conference had bagged five city seats while two went to Independents and another was won by the Congress.

However, PDP made a clean sweep of Pulwama and Shopian districts winning all the six seats (four in Pulwama and two in Shopian) and also did well in Anantnag and Kulgam districts winning six of the ten seats.