Anantnag, a one-hour drive from Srinagar, lies in the heart of south Kashmir, one of the most troubled zones in the strife-torn Valley. Already, in the few weeks since the general election results were announced on May 23, Anantnag has made headlines for a terror attack that killed a policeman and five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel as well as for an encounter between militants and security forces that claimed the life of an army officer. Pulwama, where 40 CRPF troopers were killed in a suicide car bombing on February 14, is part of the constituency.
Anantnag is also the place that bred the young Burhan Wani, who disappeared into the mountains of Tral only to emerge on social media, AK-47 in hand, as the head of militant group Hizbul Mujahideen. When Wani was killed by security forces in July 2016, Kashmir erupted in massive civilian unrest — over 100 died and several thousand were injured in protests.