In a close fight, Altaf Bukhari faces NC’s organisational might in Chanpora

Syed Altaf Bukhari, 66, starts his day in the early hours as his cavalcade traverses lanes and bylanes of Srinagar’s Chanpora constituency. His supporters call him “baijan (older brother)”. Bukhari and the group carrying Apni Party flags knock on almost every door of the locality narrowed down for each particular day.

Chief of the Apni Party, established in 2019 after the abrogation of the Article 370 along with dozens of former legislators and ministers who left the PDP, Congress and the NC to join his new party, Bukhari has followed the routine for the past 20 days without fail.

Locked in a tough battle with National Conference candidate and businessman Mushtaq Guroo, he is not taking the elections lightly.

Bukhari, it may be recalled, was the first political leader from Jammu and Kashmir to establish contact with New Delhi after the 2019 events. The move has understandably earned him the “BJP’s B-team” tag.

His party’s major electoral debut did not go as planned as both its candidates lost their deposits in the Lok Sabha elections. Desertions have followed since.

The businessman-turned-politician is well aware of the significance of these elections. “We are just a four-year-old party, whatever blessings we get will accept with an open heart,” he said Bukhari while campaigning for the party, which is contesting on 60 seats.

Besides the NC, he faces seven other opponents. The NC pick, Guroo, however, stands out as he is the political advisor to party president Farooq Abdullah. Many locals, however, complain that the NC candidate is not visible on the ground.

Guroo is relying on the NC cadre’s ground presence. “Our candidate is also focusing on the door-to-door campaigning and seeks votes from the people on the NC agenda,” NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said, adding, “We have a very strong base in the entire constituency.”

Bukhari, meanwhile, has given his full attention to Chanpora, erstwhile Amira Kadal, from where he won the 2014 polls after defeating NC stalwart Nasir Aslam Wani, who has since shifted base to Kupwara.

Post delimitation, several areas of Budgam were added to the constituency but the Lok Sabha polls saw NC take a formidable lead in the belt. Bukhari’s relentless campaigning then is a bid to make a contest out of the seat.

“All three prominent candidates are top businessmen. Altaf Bukhari, Mushtaq Guroo and Peoples Democratic Party candidate Iqbal Tramboo but Bukhari is working hard to win the seat again. It’s going to be a very close fight and Bukhari’s extra efforts could help him edge out rivals who have strong backing of their party cadre,” Haroon Ahmad, a resident of Chanpora, said.