Muzaffar Hussain Baig And His Contest From Baramulla As Independent (image: facebook.com/Muzaffar Hussain Baig)
Muzaffar Hussain Baig, founding member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Deputy Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir is contesting as an independent candidate from Baramulla seat in north Kashmir.
Baig has been associated with the PDP since 1998. In 2002, he contested from Baramulla and won the seat by defeating close rival National Conference (NC) candidate Ghulam Nabi Kachru by a margin of 2849 votes. In 2008, he retained the seat by defeating NC’S Nazir Hussain Khan by a margin of 5398 votes. He held the ministerial portfolios Law and Parliamentary Affairs in the State Cabinet and has also served as the Chief Spokesperson for the PDP.
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In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Baig won from Baramulla defeating NC’s Sharief Ud-din Shariq by a margin of 29219 votes.
However, he quit PDP a year after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. As per the reports, the seat-sharing talks with the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) in October 2020, concerning the District Development Council (DDC) elections, created conflicts between him and the party.
A year after resigning from PDP, Baig joined Sajad Lone’s Peoples Conference, but expelled a few months later. In 2020, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honor of India which apparently due to his soft-stance towards BJP-led central government.
After four years, veteran politician rejoined PDP January this year. However, his re-entry was not well received within the party owing to his stance against the PDP on revocation of Article 370.
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In February, Baig who attended the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Jammu stated that, he is not affiliated with PDP nor would approach them for joining. “If they would ask me to join, I would tell them to prefer national interest rather than political and personal benefits,” KNO quotes, as the Baig is saying. A prominent Pahari leader, he lauded PM Modi for extending reservation status to Paharis and three other communities this year.
Baig holds considerable influence in Baramulla, and in the assembly polls, he is pitted against NC’s Javid Hassan Baig, Congress candidate Mir Iqbal Ahmad and Mohammad Rafiq Rather of the PDP. Javid Baig won the election in 2014.
