It is the country’s highest electoral battleground, located as it is at an altitude of 9,800 feet above the sea level. “We will win with God’s grace,” said Mr. Shoqi, as he refers to the Independent candidate Sajjad Hussain, 35, a social activist-turned-journalist-turned-politician. Of the four candidates in the fray, Mr. Hussain, with a degree from Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi, is considered a dark horse. Of two influential seminaries of Islamia School Kargil and the Imam Khomenie Memorial Trust Kargil (IKMTK), Mr. Hussain has garnered the support of the former. Whether Mr. Hussain wins or not, his entry into electoral politics forced the National Conference, the Peoples Democratic Party, the BJP and the Congress to redraw their strategies.

Source: The Hindu May 04, 2019 15:56 UTC