Hasnain Masoodi: Former HC Judge; NC's Pick For Pampore (image:facebook.com/justicehasnain.massodi.1)

Hasnain Masoodi’s name came to be known in the electoral politics for his eponymous victory in Anantnag Lok Sabha seat defeating PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti in 2019 elections. Masoodi, National Conference (NC) leader is a former judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir.

He was appointed Principal District Judge from 2007 to 2009 and was J&K High Court Judge from 2009 to 2016. He was also served as the Chairperson of the Jammu & Kashmir State Juvenile Justice Panel.

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Masoodi’s landmark judgement on J&K’s special constitutional status, just few months before his retirement, prompted NC to contest him on the polls. In October 2015, the Division Bench of Justices Masoodi and Janak Raj Kotwal ordered that the Article 370 is permanent provision of the Constitution and that it can’t be “abrogated, repealed or even amended”. He joined politics three years after his retirement.

In his maiden polls, Hasnain Masoodi secured 40,180 votes and defeated Congress candidate Ghulam Ahmad Mir by a margin of 6,676 votes wherein Mufti relegated to the third position, with difference of nearly 10,000 votes. In Mufti’s political career, this marked her second electoral defeat after losing Srinagar constituency to NC leader Omar Abdullah in 1999.

During his tenure as a parliamentarian, he served as the member of Standing Committee on Urban Development, Library Committee, and Consultative Committee, Ministry of Culture and Tourism. When the Central government moved for the abrogation of the Article 370, Masoodi opposed the resolution in the Lok Sabha questioning the former’s right to alter it without consulting the stakeholders. When the legislation received approval, Masoodi along with Mohammad Akbar Lone, both members of the NC in the Lok Sabha, filed petition to the Supreme Court challenging the Centre’s move.

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While talking to reporters on Pampore in April, he said: “The people are aware that the NC is the party that fought against autocratic rule. I am sure that people will again repose their faith in our party,” the Greater Kashmir reports.

In the upcoming Assembly election, NC fielded Masoodi from Pampore. Pampore along with 23 other constituencies will go to booths in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir election on September 18. In 2008 and 2014 polls, PDP candidate Zahoor Ahmad secured victory.