Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): With just over a week left for Phase 1st of the Parliamentary elections 2024, the political stage in Jammu and Kashmir is set for a showdown, with major players gearing up for the battle across the five Lok Sabha seats of the region. The National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Indian National Congress (INC), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have emerged as the key contenders, each vying for supremacy in their respective strongholds.
Traditionally, the NC and PDP have held sway in the Kashmir valley, while the BJP and Congress have maintained their dominance in Jammu. As the electoral drama unfolds, 12 candidates have thrown their hats into the ring for the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat, while 23 contenders are vying for the Jammu parliamentary seat. Among the heavyweights, BJP's Dr. Jitendra Singh and Congress's Chaudhary Lal Singh are locking horns for the Udhampur seat, while the Jammu seat sees Congress's Raman Bhalla and BJP's Jugal Kishore battling it out.
In a twist of events, the NC has nominated Mian Altaf Ahmad for the Anantnag seat, setting the stage for a compelling contest. Notably, former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and another seasoned politician, Ghulam Nabi Azad, are also contesting for the same seat, adding further intrigue to the electoral landscape. Interestingly, BJP is yet to announce its candidate for the seat.
Meanwhile, NC has not yet announced the name of any of its leaders for any other seats in the valley and has decided to support the Congress on two seats (Udhampur and Jammu) of the Jammu province. On the other hand, PDP has announced that their party president Mehbooba Mufti will contest for the Anantnag seat, Waheed Ur Rehman Para from the Srinagar seat, and Mir Fayyaz from Baramulla.
Reflecting on the turbulent political history of Jammu and Kashmir, seasoned leaders have faced their fair share of challenges and triumphs. From Dr. Farooq Abdullah's defeat against PDP's Tariq Hameed Karra in 2014, to Mehbooba Mufti's loss in 2019, the political arena has witnessed dramatic shifts and unexpected outcomes. Similarly, stalwarts like Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Chaman Lal Gupta, and Ghulam Nabi Azad have experienced the highs and lows of electoral politics, further underscoring the dynamic nature of democracy in the region.
Dr. Farooq Abdullah had to face defeat against PDP's Tariq Hameed Karra in the 2014 elections, where Karra secured victory with 50.58 percent of the votes while Dr. Farooq received 37.04 percent of the votes. Later, due to disagreements with Mehbooba Mufti, Karra left the party, and Dr. Farooq was re-elected in the 2017 by-polls. Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti, who had been a Member of Parliament from Anantnag in 2004 and 2014, faced defeat in 2019, paving the way for NC's Retired Justice Hasnain Masoodi to enter Parliament with 32.17 percent of the votes.
In 1998, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed entered Parliament from Anantnag but faced defeat in 1999 elections against NC's Ali Mohammad Naik. Similarly, in 2004, BJP's stalwart Chaman Lal Gupta lost to Congress candidate Chaudhary Lal Singh in Udhampur. Lal Singh secured 39.61 percent of the votes while Gupta received 31.85 percent.
In 2014, then Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad lost to BJP's Dr. Jitendra Singh in Udhampur. Dr. Jitendra Singh received 46.78 percent of the votes, whereas Azad garnered 40.93 percent. In 2019, Dr. Jitendra Singh triumphed over Congress's Vikramaditya Singh in Udhampur, with Singh receiving 61.38 percent of the votes compared to Vikramaditya's 31.10 percent.
