Jammu and Kashmir assembly election results: Junaid Mattu defeated at Zadibal, Tanvir Sadiq wins by 16,173 votes

Junaid Mattu contested the election as an independent candidate from the Zadibal constituency. He was previously associated with the Apni Party

Former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu of the Zadibal constituency got defeated by Tanvir Sadiq of the National Conference who won by 16,173 votes as results of the assembly election unfolded on Tuesday, October 8.

Former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu (HT_PRINT)

Mattu faced a strong challenge from Sadiq, who previously served as the political advisor to Omar Abdullah during his tenure as chief minister of the erstwhile state.

Who is Junaid Azim Mattu?

Mattu contested the election as an independent candidate from the Zadibal constituency in Srinagar district. He was previously associated with the Apni Party, led by Altaf Bukhari in the Union Territory.

A former financial analyst who returned from the United States about 15 years ago, Mattu entered politics in 2009, initially joining Sajad Gani Lone’s People's Conference, which is now headed by Sajad Lone.

In 2013, Mattu joined the National Conference and served as its spokesperson. However, he returned to the People's Conference before contesting the Srinagar Municipal Corporation elections in 2018.

An alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the People's Conference secured 40 seats in the municipal elections, with many of the winners contesting as independents.

Mattu was first elected as the Mayor of Srinagar on 6 November 2018, securing 40 votes from corporators and defeating his closest rival from the Indian National Congress, who received 26 votes.

His goal was to establish the BJP-People's Conference alliance as a ‘third front’ in the Kashmir Valley, challenging the dominance of the National Conference and the People's Democratic Party.

In June 2020, Mattu was ousted as mayor after losing a no-confidence motion. However, in November 2020, he regained the position with a two-thirds majority.

In November 2020, Mattu joined the Altaf Bukhari-led Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party and, by February 2021, was appointed president of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Youth Federation, the party's youth wing.

Mattu's political roots run deep, with his grandfather, Ghulam Ahmad Ashai, being a founding member of Sheikh Abdullah's Muslim Conference, which later evolved into the National Conference.