The moment has arrived in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections that political parties have been eagerly waiting for. Today, it will be clear which party will come to power and who will face disappointment. The results have started coming in.
Elections are being held after 10 years, and the situation has changed. Jammu and Kashmir is now a Union Territory, with Ladakh separated from it. Article 370 has been removed. The historic Lal Chowk, once a center of protests, is now decorated with the national flag. However, the challenges for political parties remain the same. The state has seen governments led by the National Conference (NC), Congress, and at times, a PDP-BJP alliance. Soon, we will know which party will claim victory in this election.
Farooq’s Son and Mehbooba’s Daughter are Also Contesting
Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference is contesting the elections in alliance with Congress. Key candidates include NC leader Omar Abdullah (contesting from two constituencies: Budgam and Ganderbal), People’s Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone (from Handwara and Kupwara), Pradesh Congress Committee President Tariq Hameed Karra (Batamaloo), and BJP’s state president Ravinder Raina (Nowshera).
Other important candidates include Congress General Secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir (Doru), PDP leader Waheed Para (Pulwama), Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti (Bijbehara), Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari (Chanapora), CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami (Kulgam), and former Deputy Chief Ministers Muzaffar Hussain Baig and Tara Chand.
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According to exit polls released on Saturday, the NC-Congress alliance was shown leading. The BJP is expected to perform well, while other parties like People’s Conference, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Azad Party, and Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittihad Party are also in the fray.
This time, the number of assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir has increased. Previously, there were 87 seats when Ladakh was part of the state. Now, after Ladakh’s separation, the number has increased to 90. The NC is contesting 56 seats, Congress 38 seats, and BJP has fielded candidates for 62 seats. The PDP has 81 candidates in the race. Voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir this time was 63.45%.
