Waheed ur Rehman Para, who faces formidable opponents, starts with the advantage of his political activity in the region, though misgivings about PDP tie-up with BJP remain
By Naveed Iqbal
In the upper reaches of the Ganderbal district, Waheed ur Rehman Para walks with slow deliberate steps. His head down, he shakes hands with everyone crossing his path as scores of supporters follow, shouting slogans hailing him. A member of the District Development Council (DDC) in Pulwama, he could not take oath of office owing to his incarceration under the stringent UAPA. Now, Para is a leading contender for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, which votes on May 13.
A youth leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Para is widely respected for having enthused many youngsters to get interested in the democratic process during the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.