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Abduction forces BJP to change Anantnag candidate

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which lost its candidate for the Anantnag parliamentary seat, Ghulam Hyder Noorani, in a landmine blast last week, today nominated a fresh candidate amidst accusations and high drama.

Though Showkat Wani, a little-known worker of the BJP who filed his nomination papers at the last minute, was owned by the party high command as its candidate, it had earlier named Dr Abdul Rahman Sheikh as its nominee.

Sheikh, who failed to turn up to file his nomination papers, alleged that his seven-year-old son Asif had been abducted by surrendered militants who support Wani.

He said his son left for school this morning, but was kidnapped by four masked gunmen in the Srinagar fruit market near the school and whisked away in a Maruti car.

Sheikh said he had informed the police and lodged a first information report. A massive search has been launched for Asif, police said.

Sheikh said the surrendered militants were against his candidature from Anantnag and had a few days ago threatened him and other BJP politicians at a meeting. "He [Wani] wanted to contest the poll from Anantnag. He has the support of the pro-government militants," Sheikh told rediff.com.

Late this evening, Sheikh said he was concerned about his son's safety. "They did this only to harass me and keep me away from filing my nomination papers. They have succeeded," he said.

Meanwhile, troops spread a security blanket in the troubled districts of Kupwara and Baramulla where polling takes place tomorrow. The two districts together constitute the Baramulla parliamentary constituency.

The polling staff and material reached various stations this evening under heavy security. Authorities have made tight security arrangements in the militant-infested areas of Kupwara. All-out efforts are being made to instil confidence in the voters so that they go to polling booths without fear.

But late last evening, extremists gunned down a National Conference block president at Rafiabad in Baramulla district. Another group of extremists fired rockets on the heavily guarded house of a member of the state legislative assembly from Kupwara. The MLA escaped unhurt.

Militants this evening fired four rockets on an army camp in Srinagar. But no one was injured.

Militants also hurled a powerful hand-grenade on a security patrol at Shopian, resulting in injuries to 32 persons, including three jawans.

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