NC-Cong Alliance Crosses Majority With 49 Seats, BJP Gets 29 All From Jammu, Jamat Finds No Takers In Valley, AAP Gets Maiden
NC Emerges Single Largest Party In Kashmir with 42 Seats Followed By Cong With 6, PDP 3 , CPI(M) 1,AAP Gets First Maiden Win
Omar To Be New J&K CM : Farooq Abdullah
PM Modi Highlights Voter Faith in Democracy Amid Historic Election Turnout, BJP Expresses Pride in Performance Despite Losing Majority; Modi Thanks Supporters
Srinagar: The Congress-National Conference alliance has secured a significant victory in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, winning 49 out of 90 seats and is poised to form the government in the coming days. This includes 42 seats for the National Conference, 6 for the Indian National Congress, and 1 for the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed 29 seats, while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) managed to secure just 3 seats. Additionally, 7 Independent candidates were elected, and in a surprising outcome, the Aam Aadmi Party won its first-ever seat in the Doda Assembly constituency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed pride in the BJP’s performance during these elections, thanking voters for their support. “I assure the people that we will continue to work for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir,” he posted on X, also commending the efforts of party workers. Modi congratulated the National Conference for its “commendable performance” and emphasized that these elections were special, marking the first after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35(A), with a notable voter turnout reflecting the public’s faith in democracy.
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah secured victory in the Ganderbal constituency by a margin of 10,574 votes, defeating PDP’s Bashir Ahmad Mir. He also won the Budgam seat with 36,010 votes against Muntazir, who garnered 17,525 votes. Abdullah remarked on the love shown to the National Conference by the people of Jammu and Kashmir and pledged to prove worthy of the votes received over the next five years. In a post on X, he criticized the reliance on exit polls, stating, “If you pay for exit polls or waste time discussing them, you deserve all the jokes, memes, and ridicule.” National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah announced that Omar Abdullah would be appointed as Chief Minister in alliance with Congress. Speaking to the media, he stated, “The people have given their mandate; they have shown that they do not accept the decision taken on August 5.”
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh emphasized that the alliance government will prioritize restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, ensuring responsibility, accountability, and transparency. He also highlighted the electorate’s rejection of the BJP’s efforts to secure a majority. The BJP emerged as the second-largest party with 29 seats, an improvement from its previous high of 25 in the 2014 elections. However, the party suffered a significant setback with the loss of its UT President, Ravinder Raina, in the Nowshera constituency to National Conference candidate Surinder Choudhary, who won by a margin of 7,819 votes. The BJP also failed to win any seats in Kashmir, where many candidates lost their security deposits.
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP secured 3 seats, while Sajad Gani Lone’s JKPC won 1 seat. In a noteworthy achievement, the Aam Aadmi Party made its electoral debut by winning the Doda constituency, where AAP candidate Mehraj Malik defeated BJP’s Gajay Singh Rana. Senior CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami successfully defended his Kulgam seat, winning for the fifth consecutive time against a candidate backed by Jamaat-e-Islami, further consolidating his party’s position within the NC-Congress alliance. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made its electoral debut in Jammu and Kashmir by winning the Doda assembly constituency, with AAP candidate Mehraj Malik defeating the BJP’s Gajay Singh Rana.
Interestingly, the BJP secured a remarkable vote share of 25.64%, followed by the National Conference with 23.43%, and Congress with 11.97%. With these results, the National Conference-Congress alliance is set to form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir. Omar Abdullah, also a former Chief Minister, will assume the role of Chief Minister, as confirmed by Farooq Abdullah. Shortly after the alliance crossed the halfway mark, National Conference chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah announced that his son, Omar Abdullah, would be the next Chief Minister of the Union Territory. “The people have given their mandate; they have shown they reject the decision taken on August 5… Omar Abdullah will be the Chief Minister,” the senior Abdullah told reporters, as Election Commission results indicated that the National Conference-Congress alliance was likely to cross the majority mark in the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
Speaking to reporters, Farooq Abdullah added, “We aim to address issues like unemployment and inflation. I am grateful to everyone who cast their votes. Omar Abdullah will be the Chief Minister.” National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah dismissed exit polls as a “waste of time” and stated that those who believe in them deserve to be ridiculed. “If you pay for exit polls or waste time discussing them, you deserve all the jokes, memes, and ridicule. There was a reason I called them a waste of time a few days ago,” Omar Abdullah wrote in a post on X, as the National Conference-Congress alliance crossed the halfway mark. Union Home Minister Amit Shah Tuesday expressed gratitude to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir, adding that the BJP’s top priority was to make the Union Territory “terror-free and developing it like other parts of the country”. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir have blessed the BJP with the highest percentage of votes in this assembly election and have given the BJP the highest number of seats in its history so far. For this, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah posted on X. He further added that the BJP, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is “committed to the development and security of Jammu and Kashmir”. The National Conference-Congress alliance is set to form the government in J&K, with 48 seats. The NC has won 42 seats and the Congress has bagged six. Meanwhile, the BJP secured 29 seats, its highest ever in J&K.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Jitendra Singh commended the BJP for what he described as the party’s best performance so far in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. The Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held on September 18, September 25, and October 1.
District Wise Breakup: In Srinagar, the National Conference (NC) achieved significant victories, with Ahsan Pardeshi winning in Lal Chowk, Salman Ali Sagar securing Hazratbal, and Ali Muhammad Sagar taking Khanyar. Shameema Firdous emerged victorious in Habba Kadal, while Mushtaq Guroo claimed Chanapora and Tanvir Sadiq won in Zadibal. Mubarak Gul also secured a win for the NC in Eidgah, while Tariq Hameed Karra from the Indian National Congress (INC) won in Central Shalteng. In Budgam, the NC maintained its stronghold, with Omar Abdullah winning Budgam, Dr. Shafi Wani securing Beerwah, Saifuddin Bhat taking Khansahib, Abdul Rahim Rather triumphing in Charar-e-Sharif, and Ali Muhammad Dar winning Chadoora. Ganderbal saw Omar Abdullah again claim victory, this time in Ganderbal, while Mian Mehar Ali won in Kangan. The NC’s dominance continued in Baramulla, where Javaid Hasan Beigh won Baramulla, Irshad Rasool Kar secured Sopore, and Javaid Dar claimed Rafiabad. Dr. Sajad Shafi took Uri, and Farooq Shah won in Gulmarg. Irfan Hafiz Lone from the INC won Wagoora-Kreeri, while Javaid Reyaz Bedar from the NC claimed Pattan. In Bandipora, the INC’s Nizamuddin Bhat won the Bandipora seat, while NC’s Hilal Akbar Lone took Sonawari, and Nazir Gurezi won Gurez. Kupwara saw a mix of victories, with PDP’s Fayaz Mir winning Kupwara, NC’s Saifullah Mir securing Thregam, and Javaid Mirchal claiming Karnah. Qaisar Jamshid Lone of the NC won Lolab, while Handwara was secured by PC’s Sajad Lone, and AIP’s Khurshid Ahmed Sheikh took Langate. In Anantnag district of South Kashmir, both the INC and NC performed well, with Pirzada Muhammad Sayed of the INC winning Anantnag, Abdul Majeed Larmi of the NC taking Anantnag West, and Ghulam Ahmad Mir of the INC securing Dooru. NC’s Zafar Ali Khatana claimed Kokarnag, Bashir Veeri won Sri Gufwara-Bijbehara, Reyaz Khan secured Shangus Anantnag East, and Altaf Wani Kaloo took Pahalgam. In Kulgam, Yousuf Tarigami of CPIM won Kulgam, while NC’s Sakina Itoo took DH Pora, and Pirzada Feroz won Devsar. In Pulwama, PDP’s Wahid Parra won Pulwama, while NC’s Hasnain Masoodi took Pampore. PDP’s Rafiq Naik secured Tral, and NC’s Mohiuddin Mir won Rajpora. Shopian saw an Independent candidate, Shabir Kullay, claim the Shopian seat, while NC’s Showkat Hussain Ganaie won Zainapora. In Jammu district, the BJP dominated the elections, with Sham Lal Sharma winning Jammu North, Yudvir Sethi taking Jammu East, and Arvind Gupta securing Jammu West. Dr. Narinder Singh Raina won Jammu South (RS Pora), Rajiv Kumar took Bishna, Gharu Ram Bhagat secured Suchetgarh, and Vikram Randhwa won Bahu. Nagrota went to BJP’s Davinder Rana, while Surinder Kumar Bhagat took Marh, Mohan Lal Bhagat won Akhnoor, and Rajiv Sharma secured Chhamb. In Samba, the BJP continued its strong performance with Surjit Singh Slathia winning Samba, Chander Prakash taking Vijaypur, and Dr. Davinder Kumar Manyal securing Ramgarh. Kishtwar district saw BJP’s Shagun Parihar win Kishtwar, an Independent, Pyare Lal, claim Inderwal, and BJP’s Sunil Kumar Sharma secure Paddar Nagaseni. Doda experienced a split in victories, with AAP’s Mehraj Malik winning Doda, BJP’s Shakti Raj Parihar taking Doda West, and Daleep Singh Parihar securing Badharwah. In Ramban, NC’s Arjun Singh Raju won Ramban, and Sajad Shaheen secured Banihal for the NC. In Reasi, BJP’s Kuldeep Raj Dubey claimed Reasi, while NC’s Khurshid Ahmed won Gulabgarh, and Baldev Raj Sharma took Vishno Devi for the BJP. In Udhampur, the BJP claimed all four seats, with Pawan Kumar Gupta winning Udhampur West, RS Pathania securing Udhampur East, Balwant Singh Mankotia taking Chenani, and Sunil Bharadwaj winning Ramnagar. Kathua also saw BJP victories, with Dr. Bharat Bhushan winning Kathua, Satish Kumar Sharma securing Billawar, Darshan Kumar taking Basohli, Rajiv Jasrota winning Jasrota, and Vijay Kumar claiming Hiranagar. An Independent, Dr. Rameshwar Singh, took Bani. In Rajouri, INC’s Iftikar Ahmed won Rajouri, while BJP’s Randhir Singh took Kalakote-Sunderbani, NC’s Surinder Kumar Choudary won Nowshera, Javaid Iqbal claimed Budhal for NC, and Independent Muzafar Iqbal Khan secured Thanamandi.
