SRINAGAR: The NC lost all the three seats to the region’s main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while as the Congress party lost three seats to the opposition right-wing Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).
Both NC and the Congress had entered into a pre-poll alliance and two of its leaders and ministers in the Congress government Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad suffered a defeat in the elections.
NC patron Dr Frooq Abdullah tasted first defeat in the life after PDP candidate for Central Kashmir and former Finance Minister Tariq Hamid Karra routed him by a margin of 42,283 votes. It was the only seat for which counting continued till evening and the official result was declared at 6 in the evening.
There were 14 candidates in fray amoung which independent candidate Riyaz Ahmed Wani was polled least number of votes (459). Tariq Hamid Karra was polled 1,57,546 votes as compared to Dr Farooq Abdulla who secured 1,15,363 votes. Fayaz Ahmed Bhat of BJP secured 2,743 votes followed by National Panthers Party candidate Muhammad Maqbool Malik who secured 565 votes. Aam Aadmi Party candidate Dr Raja Muzafar Bhat was polled 3,249 votes. The candidates who crossed three-way mark included Independents Aga Syed Mohsin (16047), B.M.Reshi (1212), Abdul Rashid Tantray (1666), Muhammad Shafi Guroo (1150) and Mirza Sajad Hussain Beigh was polled 4,958 votes. 4,958 people had opted for NOTA in Central Kashmir.
Peoples Democratic Party candidate for South Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti won the south Kashmir Parliamentary seat by 65417 votes. Amoung the 12 candidates in fray, she was polled 200429 votes while her nearest rival Dr Mehboob Beigh of National Conference-Congress candidate was polled 135012 votes. At least 5936 voters had opted for NOTA option. Out of total 1935 migrant votes, NC secured 445 votes while PDP got 1489 votes.
North Kashmir Parliament seat was also bagged by opposition Peoples Democratic Party. Muzaffar Hussain Baig of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won North Kashmir Parliamentary seat with 29884 votes. Beigh was polled 176053 votes while his nearest rival Alliance candidate Sharief-u-Din Sharik secured 146169. Peoples Conference candidate Salam-u-Din Bajad was polled 59196 votes while Awami Itihaad party president Er Rashid was polled 23296 votes. Franchise under NOTA option was exercised by 4568 voters.
The Ladakh Parliamentary seat was bagged by BJP with a thin margin. Out of total 4 candidates, BJP candidate Thustan Chhewang was polled 31111 followed by independent candidates Ghulam Reza (31075), Syed Muhammad Kazmi (28234) and alliance candidate Tsering Samphel (26402). Independent candidate Ghulam Reza lost to BJP candidate by a thin margin of 36 votes.
The biggest surprise was the defeat of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who was contesting Lok Sabha elections for first time from Jammu and Kashmir, lost Udhampur parliamentary seat to Jitendra Singh of BJP by 60,976 votes.
Azad, who had maintained a lead in initial rounds, finally ended up with a tally of 4,26,393 votes while Singh emerged winner with a tally of 4,87,369.
Dr Jitendra of BJP and Tariq Hamid Karra of PDP emerged as a giant killer by defeating two stalwarts.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Jugal Kishore Sharma defeated two-time Congress MP Madan Lal Sharma by a margin of 2.55 lakh votes in Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat.
The supporters of victorious candidates of PDP and BJP celebrated the victories of their candidates all across the State. Though PDP at official level had decided not to celebrate the victory of their candidates, yet hundreds of supporters of the party assembled at SKICC Srinagar and outside Degree College Baramulla to celebrate the defeat of National Conference.
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