Rude shock for big guns in J&K, as Abdullah and Azad lose

The results of Lok Sabha elections was a rude shock for National Conference-Congress alliance in Jammu and Kashmir which saw stalwarts like Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad loosing.

The results of Lok Sabha elections was a rude shock for National Conference-Congress alliance in Jammu and Kashmir which saw stalwarts like Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad loosing.

BJP improved its voting percentage in the state almost by double from 18.61 per cent in 2009 to 32.4 per cent whereas vote share of National Conference slipped from 19.11 per cent to 11 per cent and that of its alliance partner Congress from 24.67 per cent to 22.9 per cent.

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Main opposition PDP had made a marginal improvement in its vote share of 20 per cent in 2009 to 21 per cent.

76-year-old Abdullah, who had never lost an election in his political career spanning over 32 years, trailed this time from round one of counting for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat against his PDP rival Tariq Hameed Karra.

A former MLA from Batmaloo area, Karra emerged as a giant- killer when he defeated Abdullah by over 35,000 votes.

The National Conference camp was in complete shock and a thorough reshuffle was expected in the party soon.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah spoke to mediapersons and accepted responsibility for the defeat.

National Conference, which had put up four candidates to 15th Lok Sabha, drew a blank with all its three candidates Abdullah, Mehboob Beg and Shariq-ud-din Shariq losing to its main rival and PDP candidates.

This was considered as much of a shocker for National Conference as in 2002 when Omar, who was the then President of the party, had lost to Qazi Afzal in assembly elections from Ganderbal.

Under the agreement, National Conference contested three seats from Kashmir Valley while Congress two seats of Jammu and Udhampur and one in Ladakah.

Azad, who was contesting Lok Sabha elections for first time from Jammu and Kashmir, lost Udhampur parliamentary seat to Jitendra Singh of BJP by 60,976 votes.

Azad, who had maintained a lead in initial rounds, finally ended up with a tally of 4,26,393 votes while Singh emerged winner with a tally of 4,87,369.

In Jammu Lok Sabha seat, BJP state President Jugal Kishore trounced sitting MP and Congress candidate Madan Lal Sharma by 2,57,280 votes.

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, who tested electoral waters after a break in 2009 polls, stunned National Conference's Mehboob Beg by polling 2,00,429 votes. Beg could manage only 1,35,012 votes.

Former state Finance Minister Muzzafar Baig of PDP was also victorius from Baramulla Parliamentary seat defeating his nearest rival Shariq-ud-din Shariq by a margin of over 29,000 votes.

In Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, Independent candidate Ghulam Raza was leading by 318 votes over his BJP rival Thupstan Chhewang.