New Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti has lost by a margin of 2,81,794 votes against National Conference (NC) candidate Mian Altaf from the much-talked-about Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat.
Meanwhile, in this newly carved seat, the J&K Apni Party, backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has made some gains, coming in at third position with 1,42,195 votes.
This election was a crucial test for the PDP’s revival, which has faced several setbacks since 2019, when Mehbooba Mufti came third in the erstwhile Anantnag seat, once her party’s stronghold. Since 2019, the party’s leadership has practically hollowed out with an exodus led by former minister Altaf Bukhari, who floated the J&K Apni Party.
Further, the PDP was deserted within the INDIA bloc when its rival NC and the Congress announced their seat-sharing formula for J&K’s five Lok Sabha seats.
In the face of these challenges, Mehbooba Mufti campaigned heavily in her bid for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, but voters had other plans. This loss is a blow for the party right ahead of the J&K assembly elections, which are expected to take place by 30 September.
The 2024 Lok Sabha poll was crucial, considering that it was the first major election after the abrogation of Article 370.
Earlier, political analyst Zafar Choudhary had told ThePrint that the election was critical for Mehbooba Mufti.
“These elections have come as an opportunity for Mehbooba to rebuild her party. More than the prospect of winning, the sidelining of her by the PAGD (People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration) and INDIA bloc has helped her weave a narrative around victimhood,” he had said. This seems to not worked for Mufti.
Meanwhile, Mian Altaf winning shows that the inclusion of tribal-dominated Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu in the newly carved Anantnag-Rajouri constituency has worked in favour of the National Conference. Altaf is one of the most prominent leaders from the Gujjar-Bakarwal community, which has a population of about 19 percent across the five districts where the Anantnag-Rajouri seat spreads. The highest concentration of the community is in Poonch-Rajouri district.
Additionally, the Apni Party’s lacklustre performance in its debut Lok Sabha poll reflects the BJP’s failure in transferring its votes to the party. This raises concerns for both the BJP, which relies on regional parties in Kashmir, and the Apni Party itself, especially with the upcoming assembly polls. Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) also fielded a candidate, Mohamad Saleem Paray, who is currently in fourth position.