High turnout in NC candidate's Kashmir rally

In a show of strength, over 700 vehicles with supporters, flaunting party flags, banners and loudspeakers rallied in support National Conference's (NC) Mian Altaf Ahmad here in Jammu and Kashmir Sunday.

People braved the winter chill Sunday and joined the road show from Sirech to Gund village near the Sonamarg hill station on the foothills of the Zojilla Pass that leads to the cold desert Ladakh region.

Ahmad, a legislator from the North Kashmir assembly constituency, was accompanied by party general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar. He drove in a flower decked SUV as more supporters poured on to the road waving and shouting in his support.

Ahmad has never lost an election in Kangan since his father, senior Gujjar leader Mian Bashir Ahmad, passed on the political baton to him in 1996. Altaf won 1996, 2002 and 2008 elections from this constituency.

His political might was, however, jolted in this year's Lok Sabha elections when NC patron and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah lost by a margin of 3,607 in this voting segment for Srinagar constgituency to Tariq Hameed Karra of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Ahmad's supporters said it was different as he did not fight the election.

During the road show Sunday, Ahmad said he will continue to work for the people of the constituency.

Bashir Ahmad Mir of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is his main challenger. Kangan goes to vote Nov 25.