Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): The political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a gradual escalation in intensity as five prominent figures vie for electoral supremacy in the Lok Sabha elections 2024. With the participation of three former chief ministers, a union minister, and a former union minister, the electoral arena in Jammu and Kashmir has not only become intriguing but has also captured the attention of the entire country.
In the current electoral scenario, the Anantnag-Rajouri seat sees the formidable contest between Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad. Mehbooba Mufti, who has previously served as a Member of Parliament from Anantnag, faced a setback in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, securing the third position following the Pulwama attack. However, undeterred by the challenges, she is now contesting from the newly formed Anantnag-Rajouri constituency post-delimitation. Ghulam Nabi Azad, on the other hand, is contesting Lok Sabha elections for the second time. Prior to this, he contested from the Udhampur parliamentary seat in 2014 but couldn't secure victory. Now, after delimitation, he is vying for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has decided to shift his electoral focus from the traditional Srinagar seat to Baramulla. Having served as a Member of Parliament thrice and held responsibilities as a Union Minister, Omar Abdullah brings considerable experience to the electoral battleground. His opponent from Baramulla includes Jammu and Kashmir Peoples' Conference's Sajad Lone and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP)'s Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rashid, both having their own strong political base and credentials.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, the incumbent Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, has been representing the Udhampur constituency for over nine years. Having secured victories in both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Dr. Singh is seeking re-election. His main contenders from Udhampur include Congress' Choudhary Lal Singh and Democratic Progressive Azad Party's GM Saroori, each having their own electoral stronghold.
Apart from Jammu and Srinagar, the Udhampur, Anantnag-Rajouri, and Baramulla constituencies have become focal points due to intense competition. The contest in these constituencies is particularly significant as they hold key positions in the political landscape of the region.
Meanwhile, the National Conference has made changes to its candidate lineup this time, fielding new candidates for all three seats in Kashmir. The party believes that with changing dynamics post-delimitation, the introduction of fresh candidates will add a new dimension to the electoral battle and enhance their chances of victory. While Dr. Farooq Abdullah (Sitting MP Srinagar) and Mohammad Akbar Lone (Sitting MP Baramulla) have opted out of the elections due to health reasons, Hasnain Masoodi (Sitting MP Anantnag) has been dropped by the party this time. Meanwhile, the party has nominated Mian Altaf for Anantnag, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi for Srinagar, and Omar Abdullah for the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat.
Unveiling the Dynamics: Dive into the 2019 Lok Sabha Election Results
The 2019 General election in Jammu and Kashmir was held for six seats in the erstwhile state. The voting process was held in five phases on 11, 18, 23, 29 April, and 6 May 2019. It was the last general election held in the region before the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status. In the same year, on August 5, Article 370 was abrogated, and Jammu and Kashmir were bifurcated into two Union territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
In the 2019 general elections, NC's Mohammad Akbar Lone won from Baramulla with 29.3 percent vote share. Raja Aijaz Ali of JKPC was the runner-up with 22.7 percent votes while the second runner-up was engineer Rashid of the AIP with 22.4 percent votes.
In Srinagar, NC President Dr. Farooq Abdullah won with 57.1 percent votes while the first runner-up was Aga Syed Mohsin of the PDP with 19.6 percent votes and the second runner-up was Irfan Raza Ansari of JKPC with 15.4 percent votes.
In Anantnag, NC's Hasnain Masoodi won with 32.2 percent votes while the runner-up was Ghulam Ahmad Mir of the INC with 26.8 percent votes and second runner-up was PDP President Mehbooba Mufti with 24.4 percent votes.
Likewise, in Udhampur, BJP leader Dr. Jitendra Singh won with 61.4 percent votes while the runner-up was Congress's Vikramaditya Singh with 31.1 percent votes and second runner-up was Harsh Dev Singh of JKNPP with 2.1 percent votes.
In Jammu, BJP's Jugal Kishore Sharma won with 58.0 percent votes, while the runner-up was Congress's Raman Bhalla with 37.5 percent votes and second runner-up was Badri Nath (BSP) with 1.0 percent votes.
On the Ladakh seat, BJP's Jamyang Tsering Namgyal won with 33.9 percent votes while the runner-up was independent Sajjad Hussain Kargili with 25.3 percent votes and second runner-up was Asgar Ali Karbalai (IND) with 23.2 percent votes.
