•What is the general mood among the party workers in the Valley?

Some workers are very enthusiastic. They want to start the process of electioneering for the victory of the party. In some areas, there is a complete lack of interest among the workers, especially in Srinagar and other urban areas. In rural Kashmir, the mood is mixed. I have already said that it will not be an ideal time for an election.

•How will these elections be different from those held in 2002?

The fundamental difference is the level of violence. So far, after the announcement of elections and issuance of poll notification for the first two phases, there has not been any poll-related violence. This is a marked contrast to what happened in 2002 or in 1996. I hope the trend continues and the level of violence remains non-existent.

•How will the coming polls be different from the 2002 elections for the National Conference?

Every election comes with its own challenges. In the past, we considered the Congress and the PDP as the biggest challenges in Kashmir. Today, we believe that an equally significant challenge is to convince people to come out and vote. In Jammu, we are also fighting a battle against divisive forces that have sought to polarise the situation by creating a division among communities on regional and religious lines. This time, the elections remain a very challenging one. For a party like ours, this sort of scenario makes it tougher because the National Conference is not a party that will sacrifice one region for another.

... contd.