Anantnag(Jammu and Kashmir): It is a twin upset from Jammu and Kashmir in the Lok Sabha election 2024 results. Shortly after former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah conceded defeat on the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, another former Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti has accepted defeat on the Anantnag-Rajouri seat against a mounting lead of over 2.5 lakh votes by her rival Mian Altaf of the NC.
"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 & wont deter us from our path. Congratulations to Mian sahab for his victory," Mehbooba said in a post on X.
According to the latest figures released by the ECI, Mian Altaf, a prominent Gujjar leader had secured over 4.78 lakh votes leading against his nearest rival Mehbooba by a formidable margin of over 2.5 lakh votes as of 2"20 PM today. Zafar Iqbal Manhas of the Apni Party was relegated to the third positiion securing a little over 1.23 lakh votes.
Anantnag-Rajouri (Incumbent: Hasnain Masoodi - National Conference)
2024 contest: Mehbooba Mufti (People's Democratic Party) vs Mian Altaf (NC) vs Zafar Iqbal Khan Manhas (Apni Party)
The Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, spanning both sides of the Pir Panjal range, was initially set to vote on May 7, but elections were postponed to May 25 due to “adverse weather”. This change came at the request of several parties, including the BJP, Apni Party, and DPAP.
The prominent contenders include former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and prominent Gujjar leader Mian Altaf Qayoom.
The constituency was reshaped by the Delimitation Commission in 2022, excluding parts of Pulwama and Shopian while incorporating most of Rajouri and Poonch districts. It now spans 18 assembly segments: seven in Anantnag, four in Rajouri, three each in Kulgam and Poonch, and one in Shopian.
The seat attracted a high-stakes campaign with key figures such as National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar, Mehbooba Mufti, DPAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari vying for support.
Mehbooba Mufti faces significant challenges from National Conference candidate Mian Altaf, an influential Gujjar leader, and the Apni Party’s Zafar Iqbal Khan Manhas, backed by the BJP. DPAP’s Mohamad Saleem Parray and 10 independents are also contesting.
2024 polls: The total number of registered voters in this constituency in 2024 polls was 1836576, and the seat saw a voting turnout of 55.40% (1017451 total count of votes), according to the Election Commission’s data. The seat went to polls in phase 6 on May 25, 2024.
2019 polls: In the 2019 LS Polls, Hasnain Masoodi of NC won from Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, getting 40,180 votes, comprising 32.17% of the total number of votes polled. He defeated Ghulam Ahmad Mir of Congress (who managed to get 26.83% of the votes polled) by a margin of 6,676 votes. Mehbooba was second runner-up with 30,524 votes (24.44% of the votes polled). In the 2014 polls, she had won from the constituency, polling 200,429 votes (53.41%), defeating NC’s Mirza Mehbooba Beg by a margin of 65417 votes.
