BJP, PDP win 3 seats each in J&K

The opposition Bharatya Janata Party and Peoples Democratic Party have swept the polls, sharing three seats each in Jammu and Kashmir provinces.

In Srinagar-Budgam, PDP’s Tariq Hamid Karra defeated the Union Cabinet Minister and former Chief Minister and National Conference’s patriarch, Farooq Abdullah with a margin of 42,280 votes in perhaps the State’s most unexpected result. With this, NC has for the first time lost its impregnable bastion in the Valley. While as Mr. Karra polled 1,57,923 votes, Dr Abdullah had to be content with 1,15,643.

In Anantnag-Pulwama, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti defeated NC’s incumbent Mirza Mehboob Beg with a margin of 44,735 votes. Ms. Mufti got 1,42,237 and Mr. Beg 97,502 votes.

In Baramulla-Kupwara, PDP’s candidate and former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig defeated NC’s incumbent Shariefuddin Shariq with a margin of 29,219 votes. Mr. Baig polled 1,75,277 against Mr. Shariq’s 1,46,058 votes. The separatist-turned-mainstream political outfit Peoples Conference-backed Salam-ud-din Bajad polled 71,154 votes while as an Independent MLA Engineer Rashid secured 22,090 votes. Another Independent candidate, Aga Syed Abdul Hussain polled 7301 votes.

In Leh-Kargil, BJP’s Thustan Chhewand defeated independent candidate Ghulam Raza with a paltry margin of 36 votes. Mr Chhewang got 31,111 and Mr Raza, who was sponsored by Kargil’s influential Shia outfit Imam Khomeini Trust, 31,075 votes.

In Jammu-Poonch, BJP’s MLA Jugal Kishore Sharma, who polled the State’s maximum of 6,19,995 votes, defeated Congress party’s incumbent Madan Lal Sharma with a huge margin of 2,56,950 votes. Mr Sharma got 3,62,715. PDP’s Yashpal Sharma stood third with 1,68,554 votes.

In Udhampur-Doda, BJP’s debutant Dr Jitendra Singh defeated Congress party’s high profile candidate and Union Cabinet Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad with a margin of 60,976 votes. While as Dr Singh polled 4,87,369 votes, Mr Azad trailed with 4,26,393. PDP’s Arshid Malik got 30,461 and the National Panthers Party candidate Prof Bhim Singh just 25,312 votes.