Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls 2024 | Can Iltija Mufti sustain family legacy in Bijbehara?

Srinagar: Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, is gearing up for her first major political challenge in the upcoming Assembly elections, the first in a decade.

She will face National Conference (NC) veteran Bashir Ahmad Veeri in Bijbehara, a key assembly segment in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. Veeri is supported by the Congress due to an alliance between the two parties.

Iltija gained prominence in 2019 when her mother along with dozens of other high profile politicians in Kashmir was detained following the abrogation of Article 370. She took on the role of her mother's media adviser and campaigned for her in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat earlier this year.

Known for her strong opposition to New Delhi's policies in Kashmir, Iltija is a vocal advocate for civil liberties and political rights in the Union Territory. Despite her low profile on personal matters, she is focused on her political career.

At 37, Iltija's bid for Bijbehara is seen as a significant test of the Mufti family's influence, as the PDP has held the seat for 28 years. Her mother, Mehbooba, first won the seat in 1996 on a Congress ticket before joining the PDP in 1999, a party founded by her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who also won the seat in 1967.

This makes Iltija the third generation of her family to contest from Bijbehara. However, the PDP's popularity has waned since its 2015 alliance with the BJP.

Educated in the UK, Iltija acknowledges the challenges ahead, recognising that Kashmir can be unforgiving to reputations. “I want people to see me as an individual, not just as Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter,” she said.

While making a comparison with her mother, Iltija said, “I am strategic, she (Mehbooba) is emotional. This is my personality and I hope people discover this as time passes.”

Veeri, who lost two elections in a row from Bijbehara says, in 2014 despite the strong wave of PDP, they could only win by a slim margin as they “manipulated” things then.

“This time, people know what they have done in the constituency, so they will teach them a lesson,” said Veeri who is no stranger to the constituency.

His father represented it three times on an NC ticket. “They (PDP) took votes to keep BJP away and later formed the government with the same party,” he added, referring to the party’s alliance with BJP after the 2014 election.

There is a BJP candidate in the fray too, former MLC Sufi Yusuf, but most people admit the contest is going to be between the NC and the PDP.

Senior journalist Tasaduq Rashid, who has covered south Kashmir politics for 25 years, notes that the Mufti family's historical dominance in Bijbehara will be tested. “While the PDP has traditionally been strong here, rising discontent and NC’s aggressive campaigning could shift the dynamics,” Rashid said.

He pointed to a recent NC rally in Sirhama as evidence of Veeri’s growing appeal but acknowledged Iltija's capacity to mobilise crowds as a sign of the PDP's enduring grassroots strength.

With 102,081 voters in the constituency—50,728 males and 51,353 females—voter turnout and campaign effectiveness will be crucial in determining whether the PDP can retain its stronghold or if the NC can leverage current sentiments to achieve victory.