Victory of the INDIA Alliance in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections
In the assembly elections held in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, the INDIA alliance secured victory in 49 seats. The National Conference, part of this alliance, won the most seats, clinching 42, while Congress won 6 and CPI(M) managed to secure 1 seat. A total of 46 seats are required to form a government.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 29 seats, gaining 4 seats compared to the previous elections. However, the Jammu and Kashmir BJP president, Ravinder Raina, faced defeat from an NC candidate on the Nowshera seat by nearly 8,000 votes, after which he submitted his resignation to the party high command.
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s party, the PDP, won 3 seats, a significant drop from the 28 seats it won in the last elections. Mehbooba’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, contested from the Shrigufwara Bijbehara seat but lost by over 9,000 votes.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) recorded its first victory in Jammu and Kashmir, with Meharaz Malik defeating BJP’s Gajay Singh Rana by over 4,500 votes from the Doda seat. The People’s Conference secured 1 seat, and 7 independent candidates also succeeded in the elections. Afzal Guru’s brother, Ejaz Guru, received only 129 votes from the Sopore seat.
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah stated that Omar Abdullah will be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, with the swearing-in ceremony likely to be held on October 11 or 12. Omar Abdullah contested from two seats (Budgam and Ganderbal) and won against PDP candidates in both.
The voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir was 63.88% during three phases from September 18 to October 1, while in the 2014 elections, it was 65%. This time, the voting percentage decreased by 1.12%. Exit polls released on October 5 indicated a likelihood of an NC-Congress government in five surveys, while five others predicted a hung assembly.
Election Results
- Total Seats: 90
- Majority: 46
| Party Name | Seats | Vote Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| National Conference | 42 | 23.43% |
| Congress | 6 | 11.97% |
| Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) | 29 | 25.64% |
| People’s Democratic Party (PDP) | 3 | 8.87% |
| CPI(M) | 1 | 0.59% |
| Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) | 1 | 0.52% |
| Others | 8 | 28.98% |
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