The National Conference (NC)-Indian National Congress (INC) alliance is on track for a commanding victory in Srinagar, with their candidates leading across all eight constituencies in the region.
This marks a significant shift in Srinagar’s political landscape, as the region overwhelmingly backed the NC-INC partnership in this critical assembly election.
In Srinagar’s seven assembly segments—Khanyar, Habba Kadal, Zadibal, Hazratbal, Lal Chowk, Eidgah, and Chanapora—NC candidates are maintaining strong leads. Notably, in Khanyar, senior NC leader Ali Muhammad Sagar is ahead by a considerable margin, while his son Salman Sagar is leading in Hazratbal with over 9,000 votes. Lal Chowk, the symbolic heart of Kashmir, is also expected to go to NC. Meanwhile, INC’s Jammu and Kashmir unit president, Tariq Hameed Karra, is leading comfortably in Central-Shalteng.
#WATCH | As National Conference-Congress alliance leads in J&K, Farooq Abdullah speaks to the media in Srinagar pic.twitter.com/wEDUbJidL4
— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2024
This election, held after a decade, comes after Jammu and Kashmir had been without an elected government for six years. The voter turnout in many constituencies reflects the eagerness of the electorate to have a representative government after years of political uncertainty in the Union Territory.
#WATCH | National Conference workers celebrate outside party chief Farooq Abdullah's residence in Srinagar pic.twitter.com/JTNx8xsscM
— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2024
In the Jammu region, BJP has secured multiple wins, marking its dominance in key constituencies. Sunil Sharma clinched a narrow victory over NC’s Pooja Thakur in Kishtwar’s Padder-Nagseni constituency, though by a mere 1,445 votes. BJP veteran Surjeet Singh Salathia secured a comfortable victory in the Samba constituency, with 42,206 votes, far outpacing Independent candidate Ravinder Singh, who only managed 12,725 votes.
In Suchetgarh, BJP's Gharu Ram emerged victorious by 11,026 votes, defeating Congress’s Bhushan Lal Dogra. Arvind Gupta of BJP continued the winning streak in Jammu West, where he defeated Congress’s Manmohan Singh by 21,968 votes, securing a significant win.
In Ramgarh, BJP’s Dr. Devinder Kumar Manyal won decisively with 35,171 votes, defeating Congress’s Yashpal Kunada who garnered 21,136 votes, a comfortable margin of 14,035 votes.
However, the biggest upset of the election came from Congress's Choudhary Lal Singh, a former minister, who suffered a major defeat. Lal Singh lost by over 16,000 votes to BJP’s Darshan Kumar in a highly watched contest. Darshan Kumar secured 31,874 votes, while Lal Singh could only muster 15,840 votes.
These results indicate a stark political divide between the Kashmir and Jammu regions, with NC and Congress sweeping the Kashmir valley, while BJP continues to assert its strength in the Jammu region. The electoral outcomes also set the stage for upcoming discussions around government formation, with key players from all parties eyeing the next steps in a region that has been without statehood since its bifurcation in 2019.
