Srinagar, Sep 8 (IANS) Breaking the 40-year-old boycott of elections, Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) activists on Sunday took out a large election rally in J&K’s Kulgam district in favour of the Independent candidate fielded against M.Y. Tarigami of the CPI(M).

The National Conference (NC) and Congress pre-poll alliance has not fielded any candidate from the Kulgam Assembly constituency in support of Tarigami.

It was after 1987 that the JeI activists exhibited a massive show of strength in favour of the Independent candidate, Sayar Ahmad Reshi, an ex-member of the Jamaat.

The rally was held in the Bugam area of Kulgam district and the Jamaat-sponsored candidate spoke of Kashmiris, Kashmir and political prisoners.

Hundreds of people showed up in the first-ever rally organised after 40 years by the socio-religious organisation that had been staying away from the polls whenever elections were held in J&K in the past four decades.

The large participation of people in the Lok Sabha election by the people, who showed faith in the country’s democracy has prompted the JeI to re-enter the political system by supporting ex-members of the organisation as the Jamaat was banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2019.

Addressing the rally, Sayar Ahmad Reshi said, “We are here to say that the vacuum created by the regional political parties needs to be filled. The sea of people is our strength. Fingers will be raised against us and we will be criticised as well, but this is the reality.”

The JeI had so far fielded its former members in south Kashmir districts and the organisation is expected to field candidates in central and north Kashmir Assembly constituencies as well.

The re-entry of JeI in electoral politics is sure to change the dynamics for the regional mainstream parties as its absence and its large cadre base in the Valley made the elections merely a contest between two regional parties, the NC and the PDP.

J&K will vote on September 28, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8.