Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh: Following Brother's Footsteps In Langate
Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh is the younger brother of released Lok Sabha MP and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief Sheikh Rashid, aka Engineer Rashid. In the upcoming polls, Rashid’s brother is all set to make his political debut from the Langate assembly segment of Kupwara. Langate is the same constituency that his brother represented for two consecutive terms—in 2008 and in 2014.
Sheikh, a government teacher, resigned from his job in June, soon after his brother defeated National Conference (NC) vice president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and People’s Conference (PC) leader Sajad Lone in the Lok Sabha elections.
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His resignation from the education department was accepted last week, resulting in his entry into active electoral politics, second from his family. Though Engineer Rashid’s sons, especially his elder son Abrar Rashid, made active campaigns for him in the Lok Sabha polls, he is yet to formally join politics.
The candidacy of Kursheed Sheikh came in the middle of savage attacks launched by the NC and the PDP. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti accused Rashid’s party of being a proxy of the BJP and warned people of Jammu and Kashmir not to come under the influence of such parties. “… I warn the people of Kashmir that all the other parties than the PDP, NC and Congress, are backed by some power, including Rashid’s party. They want to harm the cause of J-K,” ET quotes, as Mufti is saying. NC’s Omar Abdullah has also called the release of Engineer Rashid “politically motivated.”
Meanwhile, responding to criticisms that accuse AIP of being a proxy, Sheikh said: “Our party is contesting against J&K Peoples Conference, J&K Apni Party, and even the BJP. We will also fight against this culture of labelling contestants as proxy candidates. Everyone has the right to fight,” The Hindu quotes, as Sheikh is saying.
With the entry of Sheikh, the AIP aims to garner the same sympathy and anger that resulted in Rashid’s victory against seasoned politicians like Abdullah and Lone. Shiekh stated that Engineer Rashid’s wave is ten times bigger than what it was. “The AIP is emerging as an alternative for people. Kashmir is witnessing a revolution,” he added.
However, the party ticket to Rashid is also receiving criticism on the account of promoting dynasty politics. Khurshid dismissed the allegations and argued that he is ready for any role that the party allots.
“I gave away my job of 15 years, it is not dynastic politics but an example of sacrifice. I am ready for anything the party assigns,” he said.
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In the polls, he is likely to face a tough fight from PC candidate Irfan Panditpuri, PDP’s Syed Ghulam Nabi, and NC-Congress candidate Ishfaq Ahmad. Besides, Dr Kaleemullah, son of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ghulam Qadir Lone, is contesting as an independent.
Langate, traditionally a stronghold of the NC, retained it for four consecutive terms: 1977, 1983, 1987, and 1996. In the 1999 by-election, PDP candidate M S Panditpuri, who earlier belonged to NC, won it while NC’s Sharif-ud-din Shariq bagged the seat in 2002. In the 2008 polls, Rashid first won the seat as an independent candidate and retained his position in 2014.
