HEADLINES POLL ARCHIVES FEEDBACK SEARCH REDIFF NEWSLINKS US EDITION NEWS DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ARCHIVES
Onkar Singh in Srinagar
Shouts of 'Qazi Afzal zindabad' could be heard from miles away.
Qazi Mohammad Afzal, the man who defeated Omar Abdullah, the chief ministerial candidate of the ruling National Conference in Ganderbal, smiled, waved and hugged his supporters. It was his big day and he would celebrate it with his supporters.
Speaking exclusively to rediff.com, Qazi Afzal said the Allah had entrusted him with the responsibility of doing something for his people.
"I have an enormous task ahead of me. I pray to the almighty to give me strength to work for my people," he said.
A civil contractor by profession, Qazi has been contesting from Ganderal for quite some years now. In 1996, he contested on a Congress ticket and lost. Last year, he joined the Peoples Democratic Party and Mufti Mohammed Sayeed entrusted him with the task of taking on the NC's chief ministerial candidate.
"Though Ganderbal had a record of returning chief ministers time and again, I knew the Abdullah family had done nothing for the people of Ganderbal. I knew there was anger against them," he said.
Asked how many seats would his party win, he said when he could win against a potential chief minister then almost all PDP candidates in the Valley and elsewhere should do well.
He thanked the Mufti and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti for reposing their confidence in him.
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
