Srinagar, Jun 26 (KNO): More than 96 percent of delegates participating in a secret ballot organised by the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) opposed the resignation of Baramulla MP Er Rashid, with the party claiming the outcome had effectively demolished the narrative that his 2024 Lok Sabha victory was driven by sympathy over his incarceration.
Addressing a press conference, AIP spokesperson Reyaz Majeed, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said 746 of the 773 delegates voted against Rashid's resignation, while 24 supported the proposal and three remained indecisive.
He said the exercise was undertaken after Er Rashid recently hinted at stepping down as Member of Parliament, prompting the party to seek public feedback across all Assembly segments of the Baramulla parliamentary constituency.
"The idea was to let the people decide whether Er Rashid should continue as MP or not. We wanted to know if people had voted for him merely because he was in jail or because they genuinely believed in his leadership," Majeed said.
According to him, grassroots cadres reached out to different sections of society over two days to gather feedback from the ground. The responses were discussed during a meeting of the party's working committee, chaired by G N Shaheen, after which delegates cast their votes through a secret ballot.
Majeed said the delegates expressed satisfaction with Er Rashid's performance over the past two years, citing his interventions on public issues, healthcare, infrastructure development and the utilisation of MPLADS funds despite remaining in jail.
"The result clearly shows that people voted for leadership, not sympathy. The sympathy vote narrative has fallen flat. Those who claimed Kashmir voted only because Er Rashid was in jail have received a befitting reply," he said.
The AIP spokesperson further said the outcome reflected continued public confidence in Rashid's representation and demonstrated that people wanted him to continue as their voice in Parliament.
"The people of the Baramulla parliamentary constituency and indeed across Jammu and Kashmir, want Er Rashid to remain in Parliament representing them in New Delhi, rather than representing New Delhi in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
He also urged the Central Government to take note of the outcome, alleging that Rashid's continued incarceration despite a massive electoral mandate had disappointed the electorate.
"This should awaken the conscience of the Central Government, which has unfortunately delayed the MP's release under the garb of judicial process," Majeed said.
The spokesperson also alleged that the party had sought permission to hold the consultation at Tagore Hall or another suitable venue but was denied permission by the authorities.
It is noteworthy that Er Rashid had recently indicated that he was considering resigning from Parliament, saying he did not wish to continue as an MP merely in name if he was unable to effectively serve the people due to his prolonged incarceration. Following his remarks, the AIP launched a constituency wide consultation to ascertain public opinion on whether he should continue in office.
Contesting from jail, Er Rashid secured more than 4.72 lakh votes and defeated Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by over two lakh votes—(KNO)