In replay of 2014, BJP stages stellar return, NC replaces PDP in Kashmir

JAMMU: In an election held at a time when Jammu and Kashmir awaits assembly polls to elect a political government eleven months after fall of last ‘popular’ dispensation, the results from six Lok Sabha constituencies offered a reflection of 2014 outcome with only remarkable change of National Conference replacing the Peoples Democratic Party in Kashmir valley’s political landscape.

Even as Bhartiya Janta Party retained three seats it had polled in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, this election’s highlight was the humiliating defeat of PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in her party’s home turf of south Kashmir. In her 23-year long political career, this is the second time Mehbooba has lost an election. The last time was exactly 20 years ago when Omar Abdullah, then a 29-year-old new entrant to politics, defeated Mehbooba to win the central Kashmir Lok Sabha seat.

The National Conference which has been suffering back-to-back defeats since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls looked buoyed as it won all three seats in Kashmir. Party patriarch Dr Farooq Abdullah defeated PDP’s Agha Mohsin to win central Kashmir, Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi won the south Kashmir by defeating Ghulam Ahmed Mir of Congress while Mohammad Akbar Lone won the north Kashmir seat defeating Raja Aijaz Ali of Peoples Conference.

· Embarrassing show by high billed Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan of Choudhary Lal Singh



· Panther Party’s Harshdev Singh polls 2% votes in Udhampur, Bhim bags as little as 0.27% in Jammu



· Despite loss, PDP remains a key force in south and central Kashmir, suffers badly in north Kashmir



· Sajad’s PC, Er Rashid’s AIP emerge surprise competitors in north Kashmir comprising three districts



· Victory margin of BJP candidates on Jammu seats paints dismal pictures of the future of Congress in the region



· Contrary to allegations, distribution of service voters in Ladakh doesn’t suggest Army influence

In Jammu region, the BJP candidates Jugal Kishore Sharma and Dr Jitendra Singh handed down a humiliating defeat to their Congress rivals Raman Bhalla and Vikramaditya Singh, respectively. Sharma polled 840214 votes against 551187 of Bhalla to win the seat with a margin of nearly 2.9 lakh votes. Jitendra won Udhampur-Doda seat with a whopping margin of 3.57 lakh votes by polling 724311 votes against 3.67 lakh of Vikramaditya Singh. Jugal and Jirendra had won these seats, respectively, 2014 too.

The biggest electoral upset in the state was witnessed in Anantnag with National Conference candidate and former High Court judge Hasnain Masoodi defeating former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. In the low-turnout contest, Masoodi, a political greenhorn, fought off a stiff challenge from Congress state president G A Mir, defeating him by a margin of 6,676 votes. Mufti got only 30,500 votes.

Masoodi, who was fighting his maiden electoral battle, polled 40,180 votes, while Mehbooba secured 30,524 votes, officials said. Congress's state unit president Ghulam Ahmad Mir was the runner up with 33,504 votes. They said the NC candidate secured 32.59 per cent of the total votes polled on the seat which went to polls in three phases due to security reasons.

Mir polled 26.76 per cent while Mehbooba 24.6 per cent of the votes.

Taking to Twitter, Mehbooba, who had won the Anantnag seat in 2014 election, conceded the defeat.

"I've been fortunate to get the love & affection of my people. They have every right to express their anger for my failings. Accept their verdict with humility. Congratulations to winning candidates from NC. I'm grateful to my party workers & colleagues," the PDP president tweeted.

In central Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah got 70,050 of the 1.82 lakh votes polled in the Srinagar constituency. This will be his fourth term in the Lok Sabha, having been a member in 1980, 2009 and 2017 previously.

In the Himalayan plateau of Ladakh, BJP’s Jamyang Tsering Namgyal was caught in a nail biting tough fight with independent candidate Sajjad Hussain as the Congress nominee Rigzin Spalbar and party rebel Asghar Ali Karbalai trailed behind. In the end, Namgyal won with a lead of a little over 10,000 votes defeating Sajjad who had polled 31984 votes. Rebel Congress candidate spoiled the game for the grand old party and Hussain by so far bagging 29,000 votes.

In Baramulla constituency, the most-keenly contested seat in Kashmir region, both in terms of candidates and people's participation, NC candidate Mohammad Akbar Lone is leading by over 30,000 votes. The former Assembly speaker is followed by Raja Aijaz Ali of the People's Conference and Independent candidate Sheikh Abdul Rashid. PDP candidate Abdul Qayoom Wani stands a distant third.

Comment on this Story