Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): As vote counting goes on for the Lok Sabha election 2024 nears conclusion, NC's Aga Syed Ruhullah has registered a massive victory on the high stake Srinagar Lok Sabha seat of Jammu and Kashmir defeating PDP's Waheed Para by over 1.8 lakh votes.
As per the latest data released by the ECI, Aga Ruhullah, NC's prominent Shia leader secured 356866 votes winning by a margin of 188416 votes against his nearest rival Waheed, who secured 168450 votes. Apni Party's Mohammad Ashraf Mir was at distant third slot securing over 65954 votes.
Conceding defeat, Para took to X saying "Kashmiris, after years of silence, have boldly spoken out through their votes for the first time - to break the cycle of silence and to reclaim voice. Congratulations to Aga Ruhullah sb, Er Rashid sb and Mian Altaf sb on their victory. Thanking Mehbooba Mufti and PDP supporters for all the help".
Reacting to Para's post, winning candidate Aga Ruhullah wrote, "Dear Waheed, thank you for your participation in the process of making our voices heard democratically. It was a decent competition and I thank you for that. I wish you all the best for your future political endeavours".
Srinagar (Incumbent: Farooq Abdullah - JKNC)
2024 contest: Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi (JKNC) vs Waheed Ur Rehman Parra (PDP) vs Mohammad Ashraf Mir (JKAP)
As Jammu and Kashmir experienced its highest voter turnout in 35 years, the 2024 General Elections marked a significant shift in the political landscape of the Union Territory. With 58.46 percent of eligible voters participating, this election saw a dramatic increase from the 19.16 percent turnout in 2019. In the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, voter turnout rose to 38.49 percent, up from 14.43 percent in 2019 and 25.86 percent in 2014. The results will be announced on June 4, 2024.
On May 13, voters flocked to 2,135 polling stations across the Srinagar constituency, all equipped with live webcasting. Over 8,000 polling staff were deployed to manage the process. Established in 1962, the Srinagar parliamentary seat spans five districts—Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama, and Shopian—encompassing an electorate of over 17.47 million voters. Polling stations were set up in 18 Assembly Constituencies of Srinagar, including Kangan and Ganderbal in Ganderbal district; Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habba Kadal, Lal Chowk, Chanapora, Zadibal, Eidgah, and Central Shalteng in Srinagar district; Khansahib, Charar-i-Sharief, and Chadoora in Budgam district; Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, and Rajpora in Pulwama district; and Shopian in Shopian district.
This election was particularly noteworthy as the first held in the valley following the abrogation of Article 370 and the enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. The number of candidates vying for the Srinagar seat doubled from 12 in 2019 to 24 this year.
To accommodate the 52,100 Kashmiri migrant voters residing in relief camps in Delhi, Jammu, and Udhampur, the Election Commission set up special polling stations and provided postal ballot options. These included 21 special polling stations in Jammu, one in Udhampur, and four in Delhi.
The Srinagar constituency has historically been a bastion of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), which has won 10 out of the 13 elections held for this seat. Prominent figures such as Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah have represented the constituency. However, the Congress party's Ghulam Mohammad Mir Magami broke this trend with a win in 1996, and Tariq Hameed Karra of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP) secured a victory in 2014.
This year's electoral contest features prominent candidates including Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi of the JKNC, Waheed Ur Rehman Parra of the PDP, and Mohammad Ashraf Mir of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (AP), which is supported by Sajad Lone's Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference. Notably, the BJP opted not to field candidates in the three Kashmiri constituencies—Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag-Rajouri—for the first time in three decades.
Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi's candidacy is particularly notable as he is registered as a voter in the Budgam Assembly constituency but contested for Srinagar's seat. He cast his vote for Omar Abdullah, his party's candidate for the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, while Omar Abdullah voted for Mehdi in Srinagar's Lal Chowk Assembly constituency.
According to Chief Electoral Officer Pandurang K Pole, 8.76 lakh male, 8.72 lakh female, and 64 third-gender voters, alongside 11,682 persons with disabilities and 705 centenarians, were eligible to vote this year. Special provisions included pink polling stations for women, booths managed by specially-abled individuals, and green stations promoting environmental awareness.
The absence of boycott calls from separatist groups, due to their leadership's incarceration since 2018, added an intriguing dimension to this electoral cycle. Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the sole free separatist leader, chose not to advocate a boycott, deeming it futile.
Despite concerns raised by major contesting parties regarding alleged arrests and enforcement issues, the Election Commission assured equitable treatment for all political entities. A three-tier security arrangement was implemented at polling stations to prevent disruptions, with security forces monitoring access roads. Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Zone) V K Birdi confirmed comprehensive security measures were in place to ensure voter safety.
2024 contest: The total number of registered voters in this constituency in 2024 polls was 1747810, and the seat saw a voting turnout of 38.49% (672653 total count of votes), according to the Election Commission’s data. The seat went to polls in phase 4 on May 13, 2024.
In the 2019 LS Polls, National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah won from Srinagar, getting 106,750 votes, comprising 57.14% of the total number of votes polled. He defeated Aga Syed Mohsin of PDP by a margin of 70,050 votes. In 2014, PDP’s Tariq Karra had won from this seat, polling 157923 votes (50.58%) and defeating Farooq Abdullah by a margin of 42,280 votes.
