Barring Omar’s loss, National Conference dominates Jammu and Kashmir Lok Sabha polls
National Conference emerges as dominant force in the Valley ahead of impending assembly elections, leading in two-third assembly segments
Despite star candidate Omar Abdullah’s surprise loss, National Conference (NC) emerged as the dominant force in nearly two-third assembly segments falling in Kashmir’s three parliamentary constituencies.
The party, which won two Lok Sabha seats in the just concluded elections and lost one to jailed independent leader Engineer Rashid, has got highest votes in 34 of the assembly seats out of the 54 total assembly segments falling in the three constituencies (including 47 segments in Kashmir and seven segments of Rajouri and Poonch districts in Jammu which were added to Anantnag Lok sabha seat after delimitation.).
A part of the INDIA alliance, the party, led by veteran leader Farooq Abdullah, was supported by the Congress, which has a substantial vote bank in some segments of south Kashmir and also Rajouri and Poonch districts.
“It is very encouraging to see the strong support people have shown for JKNC, as we are leading in the majority of segments in the Kashmir valley. The party will meet to analyse each constituency individually, identify areas for improvement, and pay special attention to seats with very narrow margins,” NC’s chief spokesperson, Tanvir Sadiq said.
In Anantnag-Rajouri, NC’s tribal-spiritual leader Mian Altaf managed to secure a win with 5.21 lakh votes against Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti despite south Kashmir being the latter’s bastion.
In the constituency’s Kashmir region, Altaf managed to get the highest votes in eight out of 11 segments and all seven segments of tribal Rajouri-Poonch side in Jammu. Mehbooba managed to get the highest votes in only three segments of south Kashmir – Sirgufwara-Bijbehara, Anantnag-West and Anantnag.
In Srinagar parliamentary constituency, NC leader Aga Ruhullah Mehdi defeated PDP leader Waheed Para by over 1.88 lakh votes. Mehdi garnered 3.56 lakh votes (52.8%) while Para managed 1.68 lakh votes (24.9%).
Mehdi got highest votes in 16 of the 18 assembly segments falling in Srinagar parliamentary constituency which also had parts of south Kashmir including Shopian and Pulwama, again PDP’s stronghold.
The PDP’s Para managed to get highest votes in only two segments of Pulwama district – Rajpora and Pulwama.
The only upset in Kashmir for NC was the Baramulla parliamentary constituency in north Kashmir, where party’s vice president Omar Abdullah lost to independent candidate Engineer Abdul Rashid, who has been lodged in Tihar Jail under UAPA charges, by 2.4 lakh votes.
Rashid, whose campaign was led by his university going son Abrar, received 4.72 lakh votes while Omar got 2.68 lakh votes and People’s Conference chairperson Sajad Lone came third with 1.73 lakh votes.
Omar managed to get the highest votes in three out of 18 assembly segments –Pattan, Gurez and Budgam – in the constituency as Rashid, riding on a sympathy wave owing to his incarceration for the past five years, dominated in 14. PC chairperson Sajad Lone managed to get highest in only his home assembly constituency of Handwara.
“In all the noise and the deep personal disappointment yesterday (and a bit of quiet satisfaction looking at the national results & JKNC victories elsewhere) I overlooked thanking the voters of North Kashmir, especially the ones who voted for me, for coming out & using your vote to make your voices heard. Thank you for making the effort to come to the polling booths & keeping the flame of democracy alive,” Omar Abdullah wrote on X.
This is the first Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Compared to previous polls, people in Kashmir this time voted in large numbers registering a record turnout of 52% in three Lok Sabha seats of the valley. In 2019, NC had won all the three seats in Kashmir amid boycott.
The results set the tune for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, a first after abrogation of Article 370, which is expected to be held before September.