Jammu Kashmir Assembly elections 2024: Key candidates in fray

NC-Congress combine seeks to keep BJP out of power from J&K’s Assembly while PDP is contesting on its own. A host of independents are in the fray, making it a close fight

Story so far: Jammu-Kashmir Assembly’s 90 seats went to the polls in three phases in September and October 2024, which will usher in autonomy for the Union Territory that has been under the Centre’s rule since 2018. The results are currently being announced with the J&K National Conference–Congress alliance taking an early lead, closely followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Independents too are making their mark as the J&K People’s Democratic Party comes in at a distant fifth.

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With 87 lakh electors casting their votes in the election across J&K, these elections will be the first to be held since 2014, when the BJP and PDP allied to form a shaky coalition. This alliance ended in 2018, resulting in the legislature’s dissolution. Since the revocation of J&K’s special status, it had been split into two Union Territories (UT). While J&K has a 90-seat Legislative Assembly, Ladakh has none, and both UTs are headed by a Lieutenant-Governor.

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Prior to holding Assembly polls, the Election Commission conducted a delimitation exercise in 2022, in which 43 seats were identified in the Jammu region and 47 in the Kashmir Valley. Moreover, nine Assembly seats — three in Kashmir and six in Jammu — were reserved for Scheduled Tribes. Moreover, one-third of the elected seats have been reserved for women, the Valmiki community has been included in the Scheduled Caste list in J&K and the Paharis in the Scheduled Tribes list.

Here are the key candidates in the poll fray:

Omar Abdullah (NC) – Ganderbal & Budgam

The vice-president of the NC and former J&K CM Omar Abdullah is one of the most vociferous opponents of the BJP-led NDA government, demanding restoration of J&K’s statehood and special status. He was defeated by Independent MP Engineer Rashid at Baramulla in the Lok Sabha elections in June. Contesting as front-runner for the Chief Minister seat, Mr. Abdullah is contesting from the Ganderbal Assembly constituency as well as Budgam. In Ganderbal, he faces the PDP’s Bashir Ahmad Mir and Independent Ishfaq Ahmad Sheikh, and in Budgam, he faces the PDP’s Aga Syed Mutazir Mehdi

Iltija Mufti (PDP) – Bijbehara

Making her electoral debut, PDD chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti first grabbed headlines in 2019 during her mother’s incarceration. As her mother bowed out of the J&K Assembly elections after failing to win her bastion Anantnag-Rajouri in the Lok Sabha polls, Ms. Iltija Mufti is contesting from Bijbehara. She faces the NC’s Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri and the BJP’s Sofi Yousif.

Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari (JKAP) – Channapora

Spearheading the J&K Apni Party (JKAP), Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari was one of the few J&K politicians not to be incarcerated in 2019 and split away from the PDP to form the JKAP. Accepting the revocation of Article 370, the JKAP has demanded statehood, restoration of domicile rights of J&K and extension of Article 371 of the Constitution to J&K. Dubbed as a proxy of the BJP, Mr. Bukhari is in the poll fray for the Chanapora seat against the NC’s Mushtaq Guroo

Muzaffar Hussain Baig (Independent) – Baramulla

One of the founding members of the PDP, Muzaffar Hussain Baig quit the party due to differences with Ms. Mufti after revocation of Article 370. Having been elected to the Assembly in 2005 from Baramulla, the former Deputy CM is trying his luck again from the seat and faces NC’s Javid Hassan Baig and several other Independents. He lost the election by a margin of more than 16,600 votes, coming in third after NC and Independent candidates. His vote share was 8.54%.

Sajad Lone (JKPC) – Kupwara & Handwara

Sajjad Lone, who heads J&K People’s Conference (JKPC), was part of the NC-PDP Gupkar alliance which sought restoration of J&K’s autonomy. However, he fell out with the two parties claiming that his party had been sidelined in seat-sharing talks. In the Lok Sabha polls this year, Mr. Lone challenged Mr. Abdullah for the Baramulla seat and cut the NC’s voteshare by 1.73 lakh votes, which eventually lead to Mr. Rashid’s victory. He now faces the PDP’s Mir Mohammad Fayaz and the NC’s Nasir Aslam Wani in the Kupwara seat and the NC’s Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan in the Handwara seat.

Waheed Para (PDP) – Pulwama

The PDP’s youth wing president Waheed Para, who has been incarcerated several times since 2019, won the DDC polls from Pulwama while in the custody of the National Investigation Agency. He lost the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to the NC’s Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and is facing the NC’s Mohammad Khalil Band.

Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami (CPI(M)) – Kulgam

Veteran CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, who is the spokesperson of the Gupkar Alliance, is seeking a fifth term from Kulgam. He previously held the seat in 1996, 2002, 2008 and 2014.

Ravinder Raina (BJP) – Nowshera

The BJP’s J&K chief Ravinder Raina and its most vociferous leader in the Valley seeks a second term from Nowshera. He had previously held the seat in 2014. He faces the NC’s Surinder Kumar Choudhary and the BSP’s Manohar Singh.

Sarjan Ahmad Wagay (Independent) – Beerwah

Jailed cleric Sarjan Ahmad Wagay rose to fame for leading protests in Shopian and Kulgam after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in 2016. While he is contesting from Ganderbal as well, where Mr. Abdullah is in the fray, in Beerwah he faces the NC’s Shafi Ahmad Wani and Independent candidate Nazir Ahmad Khan. Wagay lost, with 18.54% vote share, and by a margin of more than 7,000 votes. He came in third.

Tara Chand (Congress) – Chhamb

Former Deputy CM of J&K and Congress leader Tara Chand is in the poll fray from Chhamb. He resigned from the Congress in 2022 to support Ghulam Nabi Azad – the Congress’ veteran J&K face – who split away to form the Democratic Azad Party. However, Mr. Chand returned to the Congress’s fold after he was expelled by Mr. Azad for anti-party activities. He faces Independent Satish Sharma and the BJP’s Rajeev Sharma for the Chhamb seat.

Devendra Singh Raina (BJP) – Nagrota

Brother of Union Minister Jitendra Singh, NC-turned-BJP leader Devendra Singh Rana is in the poll fray from Nagrota. Dubbed as the NC’s Hindu face, he quit the party in 2021. Seeking a fourth term from Nagrota, he faces the NC’s Joginder Singh

Published - October 08, 2024 12:57 pm IST