Shopian Constituency: A Three-Cornered Contest

The Shopian district comprises twin assembly constituencies—Shopian and Zainapora. The Shopian constituency comprises areas like Keller, Keegam, and parts of Shopian tehsil, excluding Dangerpora, Trenz, Kiloora, Malikgund, Nadigam, Ganowpora, Arsh, Dangam, Pratabpora, Bemnipora, Kaprin, and Kunjiullar. It presents a rich historical heritage tracing back to the Mughal era as well as a vibrant and engaging political landscape.

The political arena of Shopian has changed over the years, and been shaped by two regional parties: the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC). In the 2008 Assembly polls, PDP candidate Abdul Razaq Wagay won the election by defeating Congress candidate Mohammad Shafi by a margin of 2798 votes. In the 2014 Assembly election, PDP candidate Mohammad Yousuf Bhat secured victory by defeating independent candidate Shabir Ahmad Kullay by 2366 votes.

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In the forthcoming polls, a total of 11 candidates are in the electoral field. The candidates include Yawar Shafi Banday (PDP), Sheikh Mohammad Rafi (NC), Javid Ahmad Qadri (BJP), Ovais Mushtaq (Apni Party), and many independents. Though the main contenders for the seat are expected to be NC and PDP candidates, the emergence of NC rebel Shabir Kullay in the poll fray makes the electoral politics interesting.

Yawar Shafi Banday

Yawar Shafi Banday, a PDP candidate, comes from a political family. He is the grandson of former two-time Shopian legislator Abdul Majeed Banday, who got elected from the seat twice—as a Congress MLA in 1962 and as an Independent in 1972. Meanwhile, his father, Mohammad Shafi Banday, unsuccessfully contested from the Shopian assembly segment in the 2008 elections on a Congress ticket. Banday joined politics after the abrogation of Article 370. He holds a degree in business administration from Herriot Watt Business School in Scotland and has handled multi-business endeavours.

Sheikh Mohammad Rafi 

In the 1996 Assembly elections, which were held after six years, the constituency chose Sheikh Mohammad Rafi as their legislator. However, in the subsequent polls in 2002, 2008, and 2014, he failed to secure the seat but maintained as a tough contender. While fielding for the 2024 Assembly polls, Mohammad Rafi hopes to put an end to the PDP’s winning streak.

Shabir Ahmad Kullay

Shabir Ahmad Kullay resigned from the NC after being denied a party ticket, is running as an independent candidate in Shopian. In the 2014 election, Kullay fought as an independent candidate and secured second place by garnering a total of 11,896 votes. He enjoys the support of two District Development Council (DDC) members and civil society members from Shopian.

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Kullay’s exit marked a three-cornered contest in Shopian. The PDP has reignited supremacy over the seat since the 2002 election. Prior to this, the constituency was traditionally considered a bastion of the NC. In the 1962 elections, the party won it unopposed.

The population of this assembly constituency is predominantly Muslim, accounting for 98.52 percent, while Hindus constitute 1.17 percent, and other religious groups make up the remaining 0.31 percent, Kashmirlife reports.