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Jammu and Kashmir election results: Jamaat backed Sayar Reshi loses at Kulgam constituency by 9,797 votes

Oct 08, 2024 04:47 PM IST

Sayar Reshi, 42, has worked as a lecturer in government colleges located in the Kulgam and Anantnag districts.

Sayar Reshi, an independent candidate supported by the banned politico-religious organisation Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), lost in the assembly election from South Kashmir's Kulgam constituency, with results being announced on Tuesday, October 8.

Former leader of Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) Sayar Ahmad Reshi, who contested as an independent candidate from Kulgam. (AFP)
Former leader of Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) Sayar Ahmad Reshi, who contested as an independent candidate from Kulgam. (AFP)

Reshi's competitor who won the seat was MY Tarigami, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate and a four-time legislator. He won by 9,797 votes, according to Election Commission of India data.

Also Read: Jammu and Kashmir Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates

Who is Sayar Reshi?

Reshi, 42, has worked as a lecturer in government colleges located in the Kulgam and Anantnag districts. He previously served as the assistant director of the Falah-e-Aam Trust, which manages schools in Jammu and Kashmir and is linked to the Jamaat-e-Islami, an organisation banned by the Centre in 2019.

Reshi, affectionately referred to as “Sayar sir,” earned his MPhil in political science from Bhagwant University in Ajmer in 2010, after studying political science at the University of Kashmir in 2006.

As per his election affidavit, Reshi has no pending criminal cases. He has reported assets of just over 54 lakhs and liabilities amounting to 1.55 lakhs.

Reshi’s candidacy held significance due to his support in South Kashmir villages like Bhan, Tarigam and Bhan. These areas have traditionally aligned with the JeI and avoided particpating in elections. However, Jamaat’s backing of Reshi prompted a change, encouraging increased voter participation and potentially reshaping the political landscape in Kulgam, which has been a stronghold for the Left.

Reshi openly opposed the abrogation of Article 370. He attributed his decision to contest in the recent elections to allegedly rising discontent with governance.

With the registration of party names taking time and the UAPA tribunal upholding the ban on the Jamaat as an unlawful association, the leaders of the organisation decided to field candidates as independents in the assembly election.

Also Read: J&K election results 2024: 18 contests to watch on counting day

In 2019, the Centre imposed a five-year ban on the Jamaat, citing its connections to terrorist groups. Initially banned in 1975 and again in 1990 during the rise of militancy in Kashmir, the Jamaat has faced significant scrutiny over the years.

Authorities later accused it of being linked to the terrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen. Since the 2019 changes, a total of 77 properties associated with the Jamaat across the Union Territory have been seized in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jamaat-e-Islami has abstained from elections since 1987 and was linked to the separatist Hurriyat Conference, which promoted election boycotts from 1993 to 2003.

Also Read: 'They haven't extended support': Omar Abdullah's clarification on Mehbooba Mufti speculation | Jammu and Kashmir polls

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