 |
|
The recent Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, marking the first in a decade, have yielded a decisive victory for the National Conference-Congress alliance, effectively overshadowing the performance of smaller parties that had garnered significant attention in the pre-election period. The Jamaat-e-Islami, a banned organization, re-entered the electoral process after decades of advocating for boycotts, drawing considerable interest and speculation regarding its candidates' performance. The Awami Ittehad Party of Engineer Rashid, known for his surprise victory over Omar Abdullah in the Lok Sabha elections, had forged a strategic alliance with the Jamaat, further amplifying the anticipation surrounding their electoral prospects.
However, the results have shown a stark reality. The Jamaat-backed candidates, who contested as Independents, are trailing in their respective constituencies. Engineer Rashid, despite his previous electoral success, has also faced a disappointing outcome with only one of his party's candidates, his brother Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh, maintaining a slim lead. This lead, as of 2.05 pm, was a mere 2,812 votes with four rounds of counting remaining, leaving the possibility of Irfan Sultan Pandithpuri from the People Conference overtaking the lead.
Ghulam Nabi Azad's Democratic Progressive Azad Party, established in 2022 after his departure from the Congress, has also experienced a significant setback, trailing in all the seats it contested. The party's electoral debut in the Lok Sabha polls had already resulted in the loss of all three constituencies, leading to the resignation of several leaders. The perception of these political players being backed by the BJP to strategically undermine the National Conference-Congress alliance, coupled with Engineer Rashid's pre-election bail, has seemingly contributed to their underwhelming performance.
This perception of closeness to the BJP has also been implicated in the poor performance of Mehbooba Mufti's PDP, which is only leading in two constituencies. Her daughter, Iltija, has acknowledged defeat in the Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency. The PDP had previously governed Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with the BJP until their partnership dissolved in 2018. The subsequent removal of Article 370, granting Jammu and Kashmir special status, in 2019, and the subsequent division of the state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have significantly impacted the political landscape of the region.
Source: Jamaat, Engineer Rashid And GN Azad Fail To Make A Mark In J&K Polls