NC sweeps Kashmir; Jammu, Ladakh goes to BJP

Srinagar, May 23 (DHNS): The regional PDP was decimated in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday with its arch-rival National Conference (NC) sweeping all three Lok Sabha seats in the Valley while BJP claiming remaining three seats in Jammu and frontier Ladakh regions.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which had won all three Lok Sabha seats in the Valley in 2014 drew blank this time. PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba, who had never lost an election till now in her over two-decade political career, finished third behind NC’s Hasnain Masoodi and Congress party’s G A Mir from Anantnag-Pulwama LS seat. While Masoodi polled 40032 votes, Mir secured 32879 and Mehbooba 30223.

NC chief and former union minister Farooq Abdullah defeated PDP’s Aga Syed Mohsin by 70050 votes from prestigious Srinagar LS segment. While Abdullah polled 106750 votes Mohsin secured 36700 votes.

The other winner from Kashmir included senior NC leader and former speaker of the state Assembly Mohammad Akbar Lone, who defeated Sajjad Lone led Peoples Conference’s Raja Aijaz Ali by 29764 votes from Baramulla seat. While NC secured 131999 votes, PC got 102235 and independent candidate Engineer Rashid polled 100080 votes.

Jitendra Singh of BJP, who was a minister in the previous BJP government defeated Congress party’s Vikram Aditya Singh by whopping 3,48,345 votes from Udhampur LS segment. While Jitendra polled 714300 votes, Vikram could manage 3,65,955 votes.

Jugal Kishor Sharma of BJP won by a whopping margin of 285697 votes from Jammu-Poonch LS seat defeating Congress leader and former state minister Ramna Balla. While Jugal polled 8,36,192 votes, Balla secured 550495 votes.

Tsering Namgyal of BJP defeated independent candidate Sajjad Hussain by a margin of 9763 votes from Ladakh Lok Sabha. While Namgyal secured 41315 votes Hussain polled 31552.

While terming the results of six Lok Sabha seats as the semi-final of the Assembly elections due in Jammu and Kashmir for the last six months, a political analyst told DH it would have a major impact on future politics of the State.

In 2014 LS polls, PDP had won all three Valley seats while BJP had won Jammu Udhmapur and Ladakh seats.

Party position 2014 2019
Congress 0 0
BJP 3 3
NC 0 3
PDP 3 0

Prominent winners
Farooq Abdullah (NC) defeats PDP’s Aga Mohsin by 70050 from Srinagar constituency
Jitendra Singh (BJP), defeats Congress party’s Vikram Aditya Singh by whopping 3,48,345 votes from Udhampur LS segment.

Prominent losers
Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) finished third from Anantnag constituency
Raman Balla (Congress) loses to Jugal Kishor of BJP from Jammu segment
Highest winning margin: 3,48,345 in Udhampur seat
Lowest winning margin: 7153 in Anantnag seat