Srinagar: In Jammu and Kashmir’s first assembly election since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the National Conference (NC) emerged as the single largest party, winning 42 seats. The Congress-NC alliance secured a majority, paving the way for Omar Abdullah to become the next Chief Minister. The election, held over three phases in September and October, recorded a voter turnout of 63.45%
Despite the NC’s dominant performance, several high-profile candidates, including key political leaders, suffered significant losses. Here’s a look at the prominent winners and losers.
Key Winners:
1. Omar Abdullah (NC) – The National Conference vice president and former J&K Chief Minister won from both Budgam and Ganderbal constituencies, solidifying his path to becoming the Chief Minister once again.
2. Sajad Lone (Peoples Conference) – The separatist-turned-mainstream politician claimed victory from Handwara, though he lost from Kupwara.
3. Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri (NC) – Veeri won the closely contested Srigufwara-Bijbehara seat, defeating Iltija Mufti of the PDP by a margin of 9,770 votes.
4. Surinder Kumar Choudhary (NC) – Choudhary won the Nowshera seat in Rajouri district, defeating BJP’s Jammu & Kashmir unit chief Ravinder Raina by a margin of 7,819 votes.
5. M.Y. Tarigami (CPI(M)) – Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader M.Y. Tarigami won from the Kulgam constituency in South Kashmir by a margin of 7,838 votes, reinforcing his presence in the region.
6. Mehraj Malik (AAP) – The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made significant inroads with Mehraj Malik winning the Doda assembly constituency, defeating BJP’s Gajay Singh Rana.
7. Shagun Parihar (BJP) – BJP’s Shagun Parihar defeated veteran National Conference leader and former minister Sajad Ahmed Kitchloo, securing one of the 27 wins for BJP candidates. She is also one of the three women who won in Jammu and Kashmir.
8. Devender Rana (BJP): BJP candidate Devender Rana secured a significant victory from the Nagrota constituency, achieving the highest margin of any candidate in the election.
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9. Rafiq Ahmad (PDP): PDP’s Rafiq Ahmad Naik won the Tral constituency with the narrowest margin of victory, marking contrasting outcomes in the region.
Key Losers:
1. Iltija Mufti (PDP) – Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, lost the Srigufwara-Bijbehara battle to Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri of the NC by a margin of 9,770 votes.
2. Ravinder Raina (BJP) – The BJP’s J&K unit president lost in Nowshera to NC’s Surinder Kumar Choudhary by 7,819 votes.
3. Vaqar Rasool (Congress) – The former JKPCC president and ex-minister was among the notable leaders who failed to win in this historic election.
4. Altaf Bukhari (Apni Party) – Bukhari, a former minister and prominent figure in the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, was another key candidate who lost.
5. Usman Majid (Congress) – The former minister from the Congress camp also faced defeat, along with several others from his party.
6. Sajad Kichloo (NC) – A former minister and key NC leader, Kichloo, along with others like Nasir Aslam Wani and Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, could not retain their seats.
7. Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi (PDP) – The son of a Hurriyat leader, Muntazir Mehdi, was another prominent candidate who could not secure a win.
8. Faqeer Mohammad Khan (BJP) – Khan, who contested from the Gurez (ST) seat, failed to win despite high-profile campaigns by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
9. Harbaksh Singh (Awami Ittehad Party) – Singh, who contested from Tral, also could not secure victory in this highly anticipated election.
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