J-K results: Many ruling NC stalwarts lose, Omar faces defeat in home turf
Srinagar: The recently held elections in Jammu and Kashmir have thrown up a hung Assembly with regional Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) emerging as the single largest party by bagging 28 out of 87 seats.
The BJP also made gains by winning 25 seats- all in Jammu region-but it failed to make its presence felt in Buddhist Ladakh or Muslim majority Kashmir Valley where all but one of its candidates could not even save their deposits. In the 2008 elections, the BJP had won only eleven seats from Jammu region.
Outgoing Chief Minister and ruling National Conference (NC) working president, Omar Abdullah, won from Beerwah in central Budgam district but lost in his home constituency Sonawar in Srinagar.
Mr. Abdullah defeated Congress’s Nazir Ahmed in Beerwah but lost to PDP’s Muhammad Ashraf Mir in Sonawar who polled 4,783 more votes than him. Immediately after the result was declared, Mr. Abdullah tweeted, “Congratulations to Ashraf Mir for his victory in Sonawar. He is now my local MLA. I wish him and the people all good luck for the next six years.”
The NC, which was the single largest party in the last elections held in 2008 with 28 seats, bagged only 15 seats this time. Its alliance partner Congress won 12 seats which is five less from its previous tally of 17 seats.
Among the NC stalwarts who lost this time include finance minister and Number 2 in the government, Abdur Rahim Rather who was defeated by PDP’s Ghulam Nabi Lone from Charar-e-Sharief. This was Mr. Rather’s first defeat in an Assembly election since 1977.
NC ministers Sakina Itoo and Chaurdhary Muhammad Ramzan and Congress ministers Gulam Ahmed Mir and Taj Mohiuddin and Congress’s associate member in the current Assembly and state’s agriculture minister Gulam hassan Mir are also among prominent losers. Deputy chief minister and senior Congress leader, Tara Chand, also lost to BJP’s Krishna Lal from home constituency Chambh whereas Mr. Abdullah's uncle and NC additional generat secretary Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal was defeated by PDP's Muhammad Abbas in Gulmarg.
Among the prominent winners apart from Mr. Abdullah are PDP patron and chief ministerial candidate Mufti Muhammad Sayeed from Anantnag and ministers in the outgoing NC-Congress coalition government Mian Altaf Ahmed, Ali Muhammad Sagar, Muhammad Akbar Lone and Speaker of the present Assembly Mubarak Gul-all NC-, Nawang Rigzin Jora of the Congress from Leh, NC leader Muhammad Shaffi from Uri and Peoples’ Conference chief Sajad Gani Lone from Handwara. BJP’s Dr. Nirmal Singh is among star winners from Jammu region. CPIM’s Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami retained his seat after defeating PDP’s Nazir Ahmad Laway from Kulgam constituency.
In Srinagar considered to be a NC stronghold, the PDP won five out of eight seats while all BJP candidates except one lost their deposit here and the rest of the Valley.
BJP’s face in Kashmir Valley Hina Bhat managed to get only 656 votes. NC had won all the eight seats in Srinagar district in 2008 elections on the plank of alleged discrimination with the summer capital of the state by the PDP-Congress coalition government between 2002 and 2008.
Shameema Firdous is the only NC candidate who has won from Habba Kadal by relatively comfortable margin of 2,359 votes against BJP candidate Moti Koul who polled 2,589 votes and managed to save his deposit unlike the rest of the party candidates in Kashmir.
