Pulwama, Oct 08: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) has made significant inroads in the twin districts of Pulwama and Shopian, historically a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) stronghold, by winning three of the six assembly constituencies in the region.
The PDP, which had held a firm grip on these districts for nearly two decades, managed to retain only two seats—Pulwama and Tral—while one seat went to an independent candidate.
Since 2002, the PDP has represented Rajpora, Pampore, Pulwama, and Shopian in the state assembly, with Tral and Zainapora remaining in its control since 2008. However, this year’s elections saw the NC’s strategic efforts reshaping the political dynamics of the region.
In Rajpora, NC’s Mohi ud Din Mir made a decisive victory, defeating PDP’s Syed Bashir Ahmad by a significant margin of 14,313 votes. Mir secured 25,627 votes, while Ahmad managed 11,314 votes. The BJP candidate, Arsheed Ahmad Bhat, finished third with 5,584 votes. This victory marks Mir’s second time representing Rajpora, as he previously held the seat in 1996.
In Pampore, retired justice and former Member of Parliament Hasnain Masoodi of the NC emerged victorious, defeating PDP’s three-time legislator and former minister Zahoor Ahmad Mir. Masoodi won by a margin of 2,763 votes, securing 15,088 votes to Zahoor Mir’s 12,325. Independent candidate Mohammad Maqbool Shah finished third with 5,846 votes.
Zainapora saw another victory for the NC, with Showket Hussain Ganie claiming the seat by a margin of 13,233 votes. Ganie secured 28,251 votes, defeating independent candidate and former MLA Aijaz Ahmad Mir, who polled 15,018 votes. PDP’s Ghulam Mohi ud Din Wani finished third with 6,209 votes.
Despite these setbacks, the PDP retained the Pulwama constituency, where Waheed ur Rehman Parra secured a total of 24,716 votes. His closest competitor, Khalil Band, who previously held the seat in 2002, 2008, and 2014 as a PDP legislator before defecting to the NC in 2019, garnered 16,568 votes. Independent candidate Dr. Talat Majid Ali, backed by Jamaat-e-Islami, finished third with 1,833 votes.
In Tral, PDP’s Rafi Ahmad Naik narrowly held onto his seat, defeating Congress candidate Surinder Singh by a slim margin of 460 votes. Naik polled 10,710 votes, while Singh received 10,250. Independent candidate Ghulam Nabi Bhat finished third with 9,778 votes.
