Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, is a prominent Kashmiri politician who currently serves as a member of the Lok Sabha representing the Baramulla constituency in Jammu and Kashmir. He was previously a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, representing the Langate constituency in Handwara source says. Engineer Rashid is the founder and patron of the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party. He recently secured bail after being arrested on charges related to terror funding source says. During his jail period, his son managed his Lok Sabha election campaign, through which he defeated Umar Abdullah, the son of National Conference's Farooq Abdullah, and Sajjad Lone, who was supported by the BJP. Now, Engineer Rashid has been granted bail to play an active role in leading his party in the upcoming state elections. Some sources suggest that this decision may aim to divide the votes of the National Conference, potentially leading to a hung assembly. Additionally, it is speculated that if the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party performs well in the elections, the Congress party may also lose a significant number of seats source says. This situation could potentially provide the BJP with an opportunity to launch "Operation Kamal" to form a government in the Muslim-majority state source says.