AIP’s Er Rashid emerges victorious in Baramulla
This election marks the first major one in J&Kafter the abrogation of Art370
Srinagar/Jammu, June 04:The LokSabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir unfolded with a blend of victories and surprises, showcasing the diverse political landscape across the Union Territory.
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) secured a resounding victory in Srinagar and Anantnag, while the BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) maintained its winning streak in Jammu. The AwamiIttehad Party (AIP) achieved a significant win in Baramulla, marking a notable outcome in the LokSabha elections.
Out of the five LokSabha seats in the Union Territory, The BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) continued its stronghold in the Jammu region, securing both LokSabha seats for the third consecutive time. Dr.Jitendra Singh emerged victorious in the Udhampur constituency, defeating Congress rival Ch. Lal Singh by a substantial margin of 124,373 votes. Similarly, Jugal Kishore Sharma retained the Jammu-Reasi seat, triumphing over Raman Bhalla of the Congress Party by a margin of 131,540 votes. Despite a decrease in victory margins compared to the 2019 elections, the BJP’s success underscored its enduring popularity in the region.
The JKNC, part of the INDIA bloc, fielded candidates in three seats and emerged victorious in two. The third seat was won by jailed leader and two-time MLA Er. Abdul Rashid, an independent candidate who defeated former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, People’s Conference President Sajad Lone, and other contenders.
This election was the first major one conducted in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh after the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Senior JKNC leader Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi won the coveted Srinagar parliamentary constituency, leading throughout the counting process and surprising the PDP candidate. Mehdi secured a total of 356,866 votes, while PDP’s Waheed-ur-Rehman received 168,450 votes. Apni Party candidate Mohammad Ashraf got 65,954 votes, and DPAP’s Aamir Ahmad Bhat received 15,104 votes.
“A big thank you to the people of Srinagar, Pulwama, Ganderbal, Shopian, and Budgam for this mandate and faith in me. I am humbled and aware of the responsibility this mandate brings. You have spoken democratically and against the decisions of August 05, 2019,” Mehdi wrote on X (Twitter). He pledged to represent the people’s sentiments and struggle for the return of dignity and rights with sincerity.
Senior National Conference (NC) leader and former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from KanganGanderbal, MianAltaf Ahmad, has won a resounding victory in the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary constituency (PC). MianAltaf defeated former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti by a substantial margin in the 2024 LokSabha elections.
MianAltaf emerged victorious with a margin of 281,749 votes, securing a total of 521,836 votes. Mehbooba Mufti garnered 240,042 votes, while ZafarIqbalManhas of J&K Apni Party received 142,195 votes.
In his post-victory address, MianAltaf expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support, highlighting the significance of winning a closely watched and prestigious seat. “I am very grateful to all the people, especially those from Kulgam and Anantnag, as I am not as well-known there compared to Rajouri and Poonch, yet they cast many votes in my favour. I am highly thankful to them,” he stated. He also acknowledged the substantial contributions of the assembly constituency in-charge and party workers to his and his party’s victory.
In north Kashmir, Abdul Rashid Sheikh, also known as Er.Rashid, achieved a major upset by defeating political heavyweights Omar Abdullah and SajadGani Lone to win the BaramullaLokSabha seat. Rashid, who is jailed, maintained a formidable lead throughout the counting process. He amassed a total of 472,481 votes, defeating his nearest rival Omar Abdullah by a margin of 204,142 votes. SajadGani Lone received 173,239 votes, falling short by 299,242 votes.
PDP’s Mir Fayaz stood at a distant fourth position with 27,488 votes, while independent candidate SuraiyaNissar, one of the two female candidates, bagged 21,618 votes.
Accepting his defeat, Omar Abdullah congratulated Er. Rashid on X, stating, “Congratulations to Engineer Rashid for his victory in North Kashmir. I don’t believe his victory will hasten his release from prison nor will the people of North Kashmir get the representation they have a right to, but the voters have spoken and in a democracy that’s all that matters.”
Meanwhile, PC President, Sajad Lone in a post said that, “With all humility at my command I accept defeat. And it is time to congratulate Engineer Rashid.”
“I wanted to make a difference. I thought we should be empowered economically, socially and politically to be able to make a difference and be counted. We had suffered a lot in the past 30 yrs and been robbed of all our dignity,” he said.
Er. Rashid, arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2019 in an alleged terror-funding case, has been lodged in Tihar Jail. His sons Abrar, 23, and Asrar, 21, spearheaded his campaign in Baramulla, drawing massive crowds and rallying support.
This election was closely watched, being the first major one after the abrogation of Article 370. The PDP, despite not winning any seats, was part of the INDIA bloc. Mehbooba Mufti contested from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat but was defeated by MianAltaf.
The National Conference headquarters at Nawa-e-Subh remained subdued despite the party winning two seats, with no celebrations following Omar Abdullah’s defeat from Baramulla.
The National Conference won all three seats from Kashmir in 2019 and the party headquarters at Nawai-e-Subh celebrated the success in a grand way. However, this time, despite winning two seats, the headquarters remained silent.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti graciously accepted the people’s verdict, thanking PDP workers and leaders for their dedication and support. “Respecting the verdict of the people, I thank my PDP workers & leaders for their hard work & support despite all the odds. My deepest gratitude to the people who voted for me. Winning & losing is part of the game and won’t deter us from our path. Congratulations to Miansahab for his victory,” she said.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who lost his Baramulla seat to Abdul Rasheed Sheikh (ErRasheed), extended congratulations to MianAltaf Ahmad and Agha Ruhullah. “To my JKNC colleagues Ruhullah Mehdi and MianAltafsahab, my heartfelt congratulations. I won’t be joining them in the LokSabha, but I’m sure both of them will do an amazing job representing the people of J&K,” he expressed.
The Returning Officer (RO) of Anantnag-Rajouri PC handed the winning certificate to MianAltaf Ahmad, officially declaring him the winner of the 03-Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary Constituency.
