Abdul Rehman Veeri: Shifting The Electoral Field From Bijbehara To Anantnag East (image: J&K PDP News/facebook.com/)

Abdul Rehman Veeri, also known as Abdul Rehman Bhat, is a veteran Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and vice president of the party. He represented Bijbehara assembly segment from 1999 till 2018, when the BJP-PDP coalition government parted ways. However, in the forthcoming Jammu and Kashmir polls, Veeri will field from Anantnag East since Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, is making her electoral debut from Bijbehara.

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Veeri’s poll debut was from Bijbehara in the 1999 by-elections. Bijbehara is historically considered as a stronghold of Mufti family. But in 1999, Mehbooba Mufti resigned her assembly seat to contest the parliamentary polls from Srinagar. After the first win, Veeri got re-elected in 2002, 2008, and 2014. In 2002, he defeated National Conference (NC) candidate Haji Ab Gani Shah. In the 2008 polls, he defeated NC’s Bashir Ahmad Shah by a whopping margin of 10274 votes, and in 2014, both leaders contested again, where Veeri retained his position.

Veeri served as Minister for Horticulture, Haj, and Auqaf in the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government. In the BJP-PDP alliance government, he handled ministerial portfolios – Public Works and Parliamentary Affairs.

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Will the veteran leader who has tasted victory for the fourth consecutive time be able to continue his winning streak in a different constituency? the coming days will tell.

Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on three phases –  September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 4. Anantnag East and other 23 constituencies will face election in the first phase.