* Tara Chand, Rather, Taj, Sham, Bhalla among 15 Ministers, CLP leader defeated
Sanjeev Pargal/Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Dec 23: Modi wave today took the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to highest ever tally of 25 in the history of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections making it second largest party in the State and very close to the corridors of powers, just three seats behind the single largest party—the PDP of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, which bagged 28 seats, its highest so far in the House of 87, the results for all of which were declared by this evening by the Election Commission. Ruling National Conference recorded worst ever performance with just 15 seats while the Congress bagged 12 seats, down from the tally of 17 in the outgoing Assembly.
With all results of 87 Assembly seats declared, PDP became the single largest party with 28 seats, up from 21 in the outgoing Assembly followed by 25 seats won by the BJP, all in Jammu region, up from 11 while National Conference was reduced to 15 seats, down from 28 and Congress to 12, down from 17. For the first time since 1996, Nationalist Panthers Party (NPP) was wiped out in the elections drawing blank as all its three sitting MLAs including Harshdev Singh lost the polls. People’s Conference of separatist turned mainstream leader Sajjad Lone, an unofficial ally of the BJP, won two seats while CPM lone member Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami retained Kulgam seat for fourth time.
Three Independent candidates won the elections. They included prominent political personality, Pawan Gupta, who upset all BJP calculations and conspiracy hatched against him by the two State BJP leaders, by emerging victorious from Udhampur seat with a thumping margin of about 15,000 votes, relegating official BJP candidate to third place, Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who won Langate seat for second time and Syed Mohammad Bakir Rizvi, who made maiden entry to the Assembly from Zanskar seat in Kargil district. PDF candidate Hakim Yasin retained Khansaheb seat.
State BJP president Jugal Kishore Sharma had to face severe embarrassment and humiliation when despite BJP surge and an unprecedented Modi wave, his brother, Nand Kishore Sharma lost the election from Nagrota by about 4000 votes. Jugal had virtually forced the BJP high command to give mandate to his novice brother at the cost of most deserving party leader, Chander Mohan Sharma.
But for the follies of State BJP leaders like Jugal Kishore and others, the BJP would have easily touched the tally of 30 and became single largest party. The BJP lost Udhampur seat after Jugal and another senior party leaders compelled the party high command to deny mandate to Pawan Gupta, the most deserving leader, who won the seat even as an Independent. The same BJP leaders made no attempt to get BJP rebel Yogesh Sharma withdrawn from the race in Rajouri seat. While Yogesh took 2000 plus votes, the BJP lost the seat with an equal number of votes to the PDP. Significantly, Gupta became the lone Independent candidate in entire Jammu region to survive Modi wave and recorded thumping victory.
Though BJP finished second with 25 seats, it polled highest number of 23 per cent votes (11.07 lakh) followed by PDP, which despite emerging as single largest party with 28 seats, mustered 22.7 per cent (10.92 lakh) votes. Ruling National Conference of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah bagged 20.8 per cent votes (10 lakh) while Congress got 18 per cent votes (8.67 lakh). Independents polled 6.8 per cent votes, which was much more than 2 per cent secured by Bhim Singh’s NPP, 1.9 per cent of People’s Conference, 1.4 per cent of BSP, .7 per cent of Hakim Yasin’s PDF and .5 per cent of Ghulam Hassan Mir’s DPN.
Significantly, BSP which had four seats in the Assembly in 1996 and one in 2002, also failed to open its account like 2008 by polling mere 67,786 votes across the State. The NPP was another party, which drew a blank for the first time since 1996. It polled just 95,936 votes across all segments. NPP had won one seat in 1996 (Harshdev Singh) while it bagged three in 2002 (Harshdev Singh-Ramnagar, Balwant Singh Mankotia-Udhampur and Yash Paul Kundal-Samba). The NPP retained all three seats in 2008 but drew blank today as all its three MLAs lost the election.
The PDP, which emerged as single largest party with 28 seats registered an increase of only seven seats from 21 in 2008 while BJP, which came second with 25 recorded increase of 14 seats as it had won only 11 six years back. The NC tally, which was 28 in 2008 election, came down to 15 while Congress seats went down from 17 to 12. People’s Conference, which contested first Assembly election, won two seats. CPM retained one seat, which MY Tarigami had been winning since 1996 though party had doubled its tally to two in 2002. Hakim Yasin, who had floated PDF retained his seat for third time. Independent Engineer Rashid also won Langate seat for second term while Pawan Gupta (Udhampur) and Syed Mohammad Bakir Rizvi (Zanskar) won as Independent candidates.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah lost the election from Sonawar in Srinagar district but won from Beerwah in Budgam. However, his several Ministerial colleagues including Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, who is widely being blamed for destroying economy of the State, lost the election. As Modi wave swept Jammu region, top guns of National Conference and Congress including seven sitting Ministers of the two parties tasted big margin defeat at the hands of the BJP including Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and “virtually unbeatable’’ Congress leader and Housing Minister Raman Bhalla, who were defeated by first timers Dr Krishan Lal and Kavinder Gupta respectively.
BJP candidate from Jammu West Sat Sharma CA recorded highest victory margin of about 51,000 in Jammu in the entire State. Popularly known as Sat CA, he was contesting first election of his career and surprised all bigwigs by recording highest ever victory margin of over 51,000 votes, which was unheard since 1996.
Seven Ministers of NC and Congress were unable to withstand the saffron surge in Jammu region, caused by an unprecedented Modi wave and lost the election. Only two Ministers could retain their seats. The Ministers, who bite the dust, included Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand (Chhamb), PHE Minister Sham Lal Sharma (Akhnoor), Planning Minister Ajay Sadhotra (Marh), Housing Minister Raman Bhalla (Gandhi Nagar), Cooperatives Minister Dr Manohar Lal Sharma (Billawar), Works Minister Abdul Mujeed Wani (Doda) and Industries Minister Sajjad Kitchloo (Kishtwar). Sadhotra and Kitchloo belonged to NC while rest all were from Congress.
Revenue Minister Aijaz Khan (Gool-Arnas) and MoS Power Vikar Rasool Wani (Banihal), both Congress, retained their seats.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah won Beerwah seat by a slender margin of over 900 votes but lost Sonwar in Srinagar. Other Ministers, who lost the election in Kashmir were Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather (Charar-i-Sharief), Health and Medical Education Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din (Uri), Tourism Minister Ghulam Ahmad Mir (Dooru), Haj and Auquaf Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed (Kokernag), Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo (Noorabad), Law Minister Mir Saifullah (Kupwara), CAPD Minister Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan (Handwara) and Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir (Gulmarg).
Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar (Khanyar), Forests Minister Mian Altaf (Kangan), Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone (Bandipora) and Animal Husbandry Minister Nazir Ahmed Khan (Gurez) retained their seats. Urban Development Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora won Leh seat for third consecutive term.
NC leader and Omar Abdullah’s uncle Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal finished fourth in Gulmarg constituency. However, Speaker Mubarak Gul won Eidgah seat in Srinagar district for fifth time.
A Rajya Sabha member and two MLCs made it to the Assembly. They included Mohammad Shaffi Uri, a Rajya Sabha member of National Conference who has his term till February, who won Uri seat after tasting two defeats, Devender Singh Rana, MLC, having over four years still left in Legislative Council, who was elected from Nagrota seat as NC candidate and Javed Ahmad Rana, Deputy Chairman of Legislative Council, who won Mendhar seat for NC. Another Rajya Sabha member of NC Ghulam Nabi Ratanpuri lost in Pulwama. Three sitting Congress MLCs—Jugal Kishore and Ravinder Sharma (both Congress) and BR Kundal (Independent)– lost the elections from Reasi, Nowshera and RS Pura constituencies respectively.
Only two women candidates made it to the Assembly. They included Asiea Naqash of PDFP, who won for the first time from Hazratbal seat and Shamima Firdous, who won Habbakadal seat for the second time. Outgoing Assembly had three elected women members—Mehbooba Mufti, who had resigned few months back after being elected to Lok Sabha, Shamima Firdous and Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo, who lost as NC candidate from Noorabad. BJP’s poster girl in Kashmir–Dr Heena Bhat lost from Amirakadal and Dr Darakshan Andrabi from Sonawar.
Though Congress became the only party to win seats from all three regions of the State—Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh—it significantly didn’t have even a single Hindu MLA in the tally of 12. Four seats to Congress came from Kashmir, three from Ladakh and five from Jammu. Ten of its newly elected MLAs were Muslims while two others were Buddhists. Significantly, National Conference will have two prominent Hindu faces in the Assembly from Jammu—Devender Rana (Nagrota) and Dr Kamal Arora (Bishnah) as against none from the Congress. Worthwhile to mention here that Congress Minister and candidate from Akhnoor had campaigned on the issue of making Hindu Chief Minister in Jammu and Kashmir among other issues. However, not even a single Hindu leader was elected as MLC on Congress mandate.
However, out of 25 BJP MLA, a Muslim MLA was elected for the first time in 34 years old history of the party. (The BJP was formed in 1980). Abdul Gani Kohli, a retired Engineer won Kalakote seat for the BJP to become lone Muslim face in the Assembly. Another prominent Muslim face of the party, Talib Hussain lost the election with a narrow margin of over 2000 votes in Rajouri constituency. Talib was a former Minister and a Lok Sabha member.
Of 25 BJP MLAs, 21 have made it to the Assembly for the first time. Two BJP MLAs won the election for second consecutive term including Sham Choudhary (Suchetgarh) and Sukhnandan Choudhary (Marh). Bali Bhagat, who won Domana seat, had earlier been elected as MLA from Ramban seat in 1996. Lal Singh, who won Basohli seat for the BJP, had earlier been MLA from the same seat in 1996 and 2002 but on the mandate of Congress Tewari and Congress respectively.
BJP had denied mandate to its eight MLAs out of 11 in the outgoing Assembly while another of its MLA—Jugal Kishore had vacated Nagrota seat after being elected to Lok Sabha. It has repeated only two sitting MLAs, both of whom won.
After NC’s two-third majority in 1996, no single party has been able to cross the tally of 28 seats in Jammu and Kashmir elections. NC had emerged single largest party in 2002 winning 28 seats but PDP-Congress had formed coalition Government, both of whom had 17 and 20 seats respectively with the help of Independent candidates. Again in 2008, NC got highest number of 28 seats and formed Government with Congress support, which had 17 seats. In today’s results, PDP was the largest party with 28 seats. The barrier of 28 has not been broken for past three elections by any political party.
The BJP swept Kathua and Samba winning all seven seats in the two districts while it bagged nine out of 11 seats in Jammu district, the rest two went to the NC. Of four seats in Rajouri district, the PDP and BJP won two each. The Congress drew a blank in these four districts.
In Chenab Valley, which was considered to be the stronghold of Congress and party veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad, the BJP managed to make deep inroads winning four out of six seats (Kishtwar, Bhaderwah, Doda and Ramban) while rest two (Inderwal and Banihal) went to the Congress. In the outgoing Assembly, Congress had five and NC one seat in the Assembly. NC drew blank in the Chenab Valley.
The BJP delivered a major jolt to Azad by winning Bhaderwah seat and defeating his cousin and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mohammad Sharief Niaz. Azad had won Bhaderwah seat in 2006 by-election after becoming Chief Minister of the State on November 2, 2005 and 2008 Assembly election. Azad had vacated the seat after being elected to Rajya Sabha in February 2009 to join the Union Cabinet and Niaz had retained the seat in the by-election.
The BJP also drubbed NPP top gun and former Minister Harshdev Singh in Ramnagar and Yash Paul Kundal in Samba while it was BJP rebel and Independent candidate Pawan Gupta, who took sweet revenge of his two times defeat from NPP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia in Udhampur. Poonch was the only district in Jammu region, where the BJP was unable to open its account.
The BJP had all 11 seats from Jammu region in the outgoing Assembly and it won 25 seats in total, again all from the Jammu region. Despite impressive shows and polling good number of votes on some seats, the BJP was unable to open its account in Kashmir and Ladakh regions.
However, such was the saffron surge in most parts of Jammu region that several Congress stalwarts not only lost by huge margins but some of them even trailed to fourth or fifth places. At RS Pura, Congress candidate and former Minister Suman Bhagat trailed at fifth place while another former Minister RS Chib was relegated to third place in Suchetgarh. Former Minister Gulchain Singh Charak finished at fourth place in Bishnah while Balwan Singh, who has lost every election since 1996, finished third at Marh. Shivdev Singh, who has also been losing elections consecutively since 1996, was fourth in Nagrota. Former Minister Manjit Singh finished third at Vijaypur. Another former Minister of the Congress, Jitender Singh alias Babu Singh came fourth in Kathua. Rajnish Sharma alias Mian, the Congress candidate in Bani finished fifth. Mian is son of former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, who had switched over to PDP from Congress. Sitting Congress MLA from Ramban Ashok Bhagat and Congress spokesman and sitting MLC Ravinder Sharma from Nowshera finished third.
Mangat Ram Sharma’s two sons—Rajnish Sharma alias Mian and Subash Sharma were contesting the elections. Mian finishes fifth at Bani as Congress candidate polling just 1379 votes while Subash Sharma, who was PDP candidate in Kathua, also came fifth with just 1305 votes.
It was most probably for the first time in the history of the State that Congress drew blank in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts. The party had won four seats from these districts in the last Assembly election and all of them were Ministers in the present Government including Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand (Chhamb), PHE Minister Sham Lal Sharma (Akhnoor), Housing Minister Raman Bhalla (Gandhi Nagar) and Cooperatives Minister Dr Manohar Lal Sharma (Billawar). Former Minister and sitting MLA of Congress Shabir Khan lost in Rajouri.
However, two brothers and Congress leaders including Revenue Minister Aijaz Khan (Gool-Arnas) and Mumtaz Khan (Gulabgarh) won the two seats for the party in Reasi district. The Congress failed to open account in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, Udhampur and Doda districts of Jammu region. The Congress had 17 seats in the outgoing Assembly—13 from Jammu region—three from Kashmir and one from Ladakh. However, out of 12 seats, the Congress won today, the party was reduced to just five in Jammu region (down by eight) but it increase its tally in Kashmir from three to four and in Ladakh from one to three. The Congress won all new seats in Kashmir while its three sitting MLAs from the Valley—all of whom were Cabinet Ministers—(Taj Mohi-ud-Din, GA Mir and Peerzada Sayeed) bite the dust at the hustings.
Despite poor show, Congress remained lone political party to win the seats in all three regions of the State as NC like BJP also failed to open its account in Ladakh though Independent candidate Syed Mohammad Bakir Rizvi, who won Zanskar seat had the support of the NC.
Of 15 seats won by the NC, 12 came from Kashmir Valley and three from Jammu region. In the outgoing Assembly, NC was the single largest party with 28 seats of which 20 had come from the Valley, six from Jammu and two from Kargil. NC had Kishtwar, Gulabgarh, Kalakote, Nowshera, Vijaypur and Poonch seats from Jammu region, Kargil and Zanskar from Ladakh. The NC lost all these seats but won three new constituencies in Jammu region when party strongman and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s close confidante Devender Singh Rana won from Nagrota, Dr Kamal Arora from Bishnah and Javed Rana from Mendhar. While Devender Rana is second time MLC, this is his maiden entry into the Assembly, Dr Arora has also made it to the Assembly for first time after contesting fourth election of his political career. Javed Rana had won Mendhar seat for NC in 2002 but lost in 2008. He is sitting MLC and Deputy Chairman of Legislative Council.
NC’s strength has come down to half from six to three in Jammu region while the party has drawn blank in Ladakh. It’s strength was reduced in Kashmir to 12 from 20 in the outgoing Assembly.
PDP though emerged as single largest party in the present election with 28 seats, it’s tally went up only by seven seats as the party had won 21 seats in 2008 elections. Of 28 seats, PDP’s maximum share of 25 came from the Valley and three from Jammu region. Like BJP and NC, it failed to open account in Ladakh today.
In 2008 elections, PDP had 19 seats from Kashmir and two from Jammu. While it increased its strength in Kashmir by six seats, it got only one seat more than 2008 elections in Jammu region.
The PDP retained Darhal seat in Rajouri district but lost Mendhar to NC in Poonch district. However, it bagged two new seats—Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region.
BJP first timer Dr Krishan Lal defeated three time MLA from Chhamb and Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand of Congress by a margin of about 15,000 votes. Dr Krishan Lal polled 36033 votes as against Tara Chand’s 21243. All rest of the candidates including that of PDP, NC and BSF were in three digit figure.
Another Congress Minister Sham Lal Sharma, a two times MLA from Akhnoor was defeated by another first timer Rajeev Sharma of BJP by about 9000 votes. Rajeev got 41901 votes while Sharma polled 32521. NC’s Dr Gafoor mustered just 859 votes.
Yet another bigwig of Congress and Housing Minister Raman Bhalla, who was also a two times MLA from Gandhi Nagar was defeated by yet another first time contesting candidate of the BJP, Kavinder Gupta by a margin of about 17,000 votes. Kavinder polled 56,679 while Bhalla got 39,902 votes. PDP’s Amreek Singh Reen got 9815 votes while NC’s Surinder Singh Bunty could muster only 1099 votes. BSP’s Ravinder Singh Pappu polled 1080 votes.
BJP’s Sat Paul Sharma, who was also contesting first election of his political career, recorded highest victory margin in Jammu West winning the seat by about 51,000 votes. Sat CA polled 69,626 votes as against his Congress rival Surinder Singh Shingari, who got 18,997 votes. NC’s Dharamveer Singh Jamwal got 4733 votes.
NC bigwig Devender Singh Rana recorded resounding victory from Nagrota seat defeating BJP’s Nand Kishore Sharma by about 4000 votes. Rana wrested the seat from BJP, whose State president Jugal Kishore Sharma had won it for two consecutive terms of 2002 and 2008. Kishore had resigned Nagrota seat after being elected to Lok Sabha from Jammu-Poonch in April. NC’s Ajatshatru Singh, now in BJP, had won Nagrota seat in 1996 but lost to Jugal in 2002 and 2008.
Rana polled 23,678 votes while Nand got 19,630. BSP’s Rakesh Wazir finished third with 6422 votes followed by Shivdev Singh of Congress, who got 4853 and PDP’s Hussain Ali Waffa, who mustered 4049 votes.
BJP bigwig Dr Nirmal Singh recorded first electoral victory of his political career after losing three Parliamentary and one Assembly election. Dr Singh defeated Cooperatives Minister and two times Congress MLA from Billawar Dr Manohar Lal Sharma. Dr Singh secured 43,447 votes while Dr Sharma could get only 25,472votes. NC’s Sanjeev Khajuria got 3084 votes. Dr Singh won by about 18,000 votes.
BJP’s Dr Gagan Bhagat won RS Pura (Reserve) seat by a margin of about 13,000 votes. Dr Bhagat polled 25,696 votes while PDP’s Bushan Lal took 12086 votes. BR Kundal, sitting MLC and Independent candidates, who jumped into the fray on being denied the party mandate polled 11,140 votes. NC’s Romesh Lal Motton came fourth with 5852 votes while Congress candidate and former Minister Suman Bhagat finished fifth with just 3665 votes.
BJP lost Bishnah seat unexpectedly when two times MLA Ashwani Sharma failed to make the hat-trick losing to NC’s Dr Kamal Arora by about 3000 votes. Ashwani had won Bishnah seat in 2002 and 2008 as Jammu State Morcha candidate but joined the BJP recently. Dr Arora polled 29,380 votes as against Ashwani’s 26,394. PDP’s Faquir Chand Bhagat got 8112 votes while Congress candidate and former Minister Gulchain Singh Charak finished fourth with just 3272 votes.
The prestigious Jammu East seat went to BJP’s first timer Rajesh Gupta, who recorded victory margin of about 11,000 votes. Gupta polled 21,776 votes while Vikram Malhotra of Congress took 9082 votes. PDP’s Bharat Chowdhary took 3072 votes. NC’s two times nominated MLA Bimla Luthra finished fifth with 261 votes even behind Independent Sanjeev Gupta, who got 430 votes.
BJP had replaced the candidate of Jammu East as Ashok Khajuria had won the seat in 2008 but was denied the mandate this time.
Independent candidate and BJP rebel Pawan Gupta, however, upset all BJP calculations by winning Udhampur seat with a margin of about 15,000 votes. Gupta polled 36,226 votes while two times MLA from Udhampur and NPP leader Balwant Singh Mankotia secured 21,576 votes. BJP’s Pawan Khajuria was relegated to third place with 20174 votes. NC’s Sunil Verma got 1440 votes while Congress candidate Ashok Gupta finished fifth with 1249 votes.
Gupta had joined the electoral fray after being denied the BJP mandate.
NPP bigwig and three times MLA from Ramnagar, Harshdev Singh lost the first election of his political career to BJP’s RS Pathania by about 17,000 votes. Pathania polled 45,891 votes while Harshdev took 28,471 votes. NC candidate Raj Kapoor got 3073 votes while BSP’s Sukham Chand took 1424 votes. Congress candidate Vinod Khajuria finished fifth with just 1384 votes.
BJP candidate from Kathua constituency Rajeev Jasrotia defeated BSP candidate Som Raj Majotra by a margin of 6806 votes. He while polled 35,670 votes Majotra bagged 28,864 votes. Independent candidate Charanjit Singh claimed 13,242, former Power Minister and Congress leader Jatinder Singh alias Babu Singh secured 7195 votes and PDP leader Subash Chander secured only 1305 votes.
From Kalakote constituency, BJP leader Abdul Gani Kohli registered win over two times MLA of NC Rachhpal Singh by a margin of 6178 votes. Kohli polled 25,225 votes while as Singh bagged 19047. Congress leader Ashok Kumar Sharma and PDP leader Asad Bari Singh polled 10,520 and 8325 votes respectively.
BJP leader Kuldeep Raj emerged winner from Hiranagar constituency by defeating Congress leader Girdhari Lal Chalotra by a huge margin of 39284 votes. He was polled 55,399 while Chalotra secured 16,115 votes.
From Chenani constituency, BJP leader Dina Nath defeated Congress leader Krishan Chander by a margin of 20332 votes. He was polled 33,047 votes and Krishan Chander claimed 12,715 votes. NPP leader remained at third position as he secured 11,992 votes.
BJP leader Lal Singh defeated NC leader Devinder Singh by a margin of 17,801 votes. He was polled 28,808 votes and Davinder Singh secured 12,007 votes. Congress leader Jagdish Raj Sapolia polled 8,809 votes.
From Raipur-Domana constituency, BJP leader Bali Bhagat registered win over NC leader Mula Ram by 32,143 votes. He was polled 49,134 votes and Mula Ram bagged 16,991 votes.
BJYM State President and BJP leader from Nowshera constituency Ravinder Kumar Raina defeated PDP leader Surinder Choudhary by a margin of 9,503 votes. Raina was polled 37,374 votes and Choudhary bagged 27,871 votes. Congress leader Ravinder Kumar Sharma secured 5342 votes.
R S Sharma finished at fifth place with just 1099 votes behind Independent Rajinder Kumar who got 1208 votes.
From Marh constituency, BJP leader Sukhnandan Kumar registered win over Minister and NC leader Ajay Kumar Sadhotra by a margin of 11,612. He was polled 25,396 votes and Sadhotra bagged 13,784 votes. Congress leader Balwan Singh was polled 11,255 votes and PDP leader Suram Singh claimed 4,886 votes.
PDP leader from Poonch Haveli Shah Mohammad Tantray defeated NC leader Ajaz Ahmed Jan by a margin of 3,512 votes. He was polled 19,488 votes and Jan secured 15,976 votes. Independent leader Chaudhary Abdul Ghani, BJP leader Pardeep Sharma and Congress leader Choudhary Bashir Ahmed Naaz were polled 15,110, 11,292 and 10,289 votes respectively.
From Mendhar constituency, NC leader Javed Ahmed Rana registered win over PDP leader Mohammad Mahroof Khan by a margin of 9,025 votes. He was polled 31,186 votes and Khan bagged 22,161 votes. NC leader Murtaza Ahmed Khan claimed third position by securing 7,255 votes.
BJP leader from Ramban constituency Neelam Kumar Langeh defeated JC leader Dr Chaman Lal by a margin of 5,364 votes. Langeh was polled 25,349 votes and Dr Lal bagged 19,985 votes.
Sham Lal Choudhary, BJP leader from Suchetgarh constituency registered win by a margin of 9,417 over NC leader Taranjit Singh Toni. He was polled 19,971 votes and Toni bagged 10,554 votes. Former Minister RS Chib secured 9684 votes and PDP leader and former MP Tarlok Singh Bajwa claimed 8578 votes. Former SSP and independent leader remained at position five by securing only 628 votes.
From Bani constituency, BJP leader and retired tehsildar Jeewan Lal emerged victorious. He defeated NC leader Ghulam Hyder Malik by a margin of 4412 votes. Jeewan Lal was polled 12,841 votes and Malik secured 8429 votes. Independent leader Master Lal Chand remained at third position by securing 5012 votes. NPP candidate Pawan Dev Singh and Rajnish Shamr of Congress claimed 2916 and 1379 votes respectively.
PDP leader from Darhal constituency Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali defeated NC leader Chowdhary Liaqat Ali by a margin of 5,068. He was polled 24,381 votes and Ali bagged 19,313 votes. Congress leader Mohammad Iqbal Malik bagged 18,605 votes and Thakur Puran Singh of BJP secured 11,940 votes.
From Banihal constituency, Congress leader Vikar Rasool Wani defeated PDP leader Bashir Ahmed Runyal by a margin of 4349 votes. He was polled 17,671 votes and Runyal claimed 13,322 votes. NC leader Sajad Shaheen secured 13,002 votes and BJP leader Shokat Javeed Daing claimed 9,874 votes.
BJP leader Shakti Raj registered win over Congress leader Abdul Majid Wani by 4040 votes. Raj got 24,572 votes and Wani was polled 20,532 votes. NC leader Khalid Najib Suharwardy claimed 16,416 votes and remained at number 3.
From riots hit Kishtwar constituency, BJP leader Sunil Kumar Sharma defeated NC leader Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo by a margin of 2852 votes. He was polled 28,054 votes and Kichloo bagged 25,202 votes. PDP leader Firdous Ahmed Tak secured 6,432 votes.
BJP leader from Bhaderwah constituency Daleep Singh registered win over Congress leader Mohammad Sharief Niaz by a margin of 1496 votes. Singh was polled 25,953 votes and Niaz bagged 24,457 votes. PDP leader Sheikh Mehboob Iqbal claimed 16,673 votes.
From Inderwal constituency, Ghulam Mohammad Saroori defeated BJP leader Tariq Hussain Keen by a margin of 12,370 votes. He was polled 29,754 votes and Keen claimed 17,384 votes. PDP leader Abdul Majeed Bhat secured 12,570 votes.
Congress leader from Surankote constituency Choudhary Mohammad Akram registered win over NC leader Mushtaq Ahmed Shah by a margin of 8064 votes. Akram was polled 30,584 votes and Shah claimed 22,520 votes. PDP leader Iqbal Hussain Shah and BJP leader Mohammad Taj Khan secured 8290 and 2123 votes respectively.
From Rajouri constituency, PDP leader Qamar Hussain defeated BJP leader by a margin of 2490 votes. He was polled 26,954 votes and Hussain claimed 24,464 votes. Congress leader Shabir Ahmed Khan bagged 24,296 votes and NC leader Mirza Abdul Rashid secured 4888 votes.
From Gulabgarh constituency, Congress leader Mumtaz Ahmed registered win NC leader Abdul Gani Malik by a margin of 1816 votes. He was polled 17,964 votes and Malik claimed 16,148 votes. PDP leader Shafiq-ur-Rehman and BJP leader Pardeep Singh secured 11,202 and 8767 votes respectively.
Congress candidate from Gool-Arnas constituency Ajaz Ahmed Khan defeated BJP candidate Kuldeep Raj Dubey by 6878 votes. Khan was polled 22,966 votes and Dubey claimed 16,088 votes. PDP candidate Imtiyaz Ahmed Shan secured 7,132 votes and claimed third position.
BJP candidate from Reasi constituency Ajay Nanda registered win over Independent candidate Saraf Singh by a margin of 1887 votes. He was polled 22017 votes and Singh bagged 20,130 votes. Congress leader Jugal Kishore and Independent candidate Baldev Raj Sharma secured 18,929 and 2016 votes respectively.
Dr Devinder Kumar Manyal, BJP leader from Samba constituency defeated sitting MLA and NPP candidate Yash Paul Kundal by a huge margin of 22,118 votes respectively. Congress candidate Subash Chander claimed 9063 votes and secured third rank.
From Vijaypur constituency, BJP leader Chander Parkash Ganga registered win over former Minister, sitting MLA and NC candidate Surjit Singh Slathia by a margin of 12,172 votes. He was polled 38,607 votes and Slathia secured 26,435 votes. Congress candidate Manjit Singh was polled 15,761 votes and remained at number 3.
Prominent among winners is PDP’s patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed retained his Anantnag Assembly constituency by a margin of 6,007 votes against Congress’s first time candidate Hilal Shah. Mufti secured 16,930 votes while Shah got 10, 923 votes.
The biggest loss for National Conference is defeat of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from Sonwar at the hands of PDP candidate Mohammad Ashraf Mir in Sonwar Assembly segment by a margin of 4783 votes.
Omar while accepting his defeat congratulated Mir saying “Mir is now my local MLA.” “Congratulations to Ashraf Mir for his victory in Sonwar. I wish him and the people all good luck for the next six years,” he said.
Mir made history today to become the first politician to defeat an incumbent Chief Minister in Jammu and Kashmir. “I feel great over my victory and am grateful to Almighty God for it. I was confident earlier also about my win and had predicted it. I had said this before four years that I will win Sonwar and today people made that a reality”, he said.
The PDP leader said that he worked hard for the past five years in the constituency and people gave him the mandate. “For me it was not Omar Abdullah. It was somebody from Sheikh family. No doubt he has some plus points, he was the CM of the State and his father and grandfather had served…that was his slight edge which I was discomforted with, but touchwood I have done work from last five years. I could not do much to the people, but I was closely connected to the people of my constituency,” he said.
Mir said though the Chief Minister tried his best to win the seat, the people of the constituency had worked for his win as a team. “They have helped me, I have helped them. We worked together as a team. This constituency from the last 16 years, was controlled by the NC, being Omar’s home town also. But we managed the game. Omar tried his best, we tried our best. As a Chief Minister the fight was there, but it was an exciting fight,” he said.
The Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather lost first time in 36 years. He won all the elections but lost to PDP’s Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjoora by over 5000 votes. He has been winning the elections since 1977. Rather started his political career with late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah getting elected to the J&K constituent Assembly first in 1977 and later back to back in 1983, 1987, 1996, 2002, and 2008.
The other major loser for National Conference in Srinagar was parties provincial president and former Minister Nasir Aslam Wani who was defeated by PDP candidate Altaf Bukhari by a margin of over 5000 votes.
Law Minister Mir Saifullah and CAPD Minister Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan lost to People’s Conference candidates Bashir Ahmad Dar and Sajjad Ghani Lone, respectively.
Sakina Itoo, the Minister for Social Welfare lost to PDP’s Abdu
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