NC-Congress coalition wins, Omar Abdullah to be chief minister in J&K

The National Conference-Congress alliance is poised to form the government in the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly, following the first elections since the abrogation of Article 370.

The BJP secured a distant second place in Jammu and Kashmir, while the Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party (PDP) struggled, winning only 3 seats.

Out of the 90 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the NC-Congress alliance won 48 seats, crossing the majority mark of 46.

Led by veteran politician Farooq Abdullah, the NC secured 42 seats, including 35 from the Kashmir region and the remainder from Jammu. In the Kashmir Valley, the NC contested 40 seats.

NC Vice President Omar Abdullah, initially reluctant to contest the Assembly polls, triumphed by winning both his seats in Budgam and Ganderbal.

Following his win, Omar visited Budgam to thank the voters. "The priority of the new government is to fulfil people’s expectations," Omar told reporters in Budgam.

He added, "In the last five years, attempts were made to crush the NC, and some organizations were floated to eliminate us. Due to Almighty’s blessings, those who came to eliminate us have been eliminated by the people."

Commenting on the results, NC President Abdullah said they represent a clear rejection of the Centre's August 5, 2019, move that revoked J&K’s Special Status.

Farooq Abdullah also announced that Omar would be the chief minister of the coalition government.

As the results poured in, there was a festive atmosphere at the NC headquarters in Srinagar.

The NC’s pre-poll partner, the Congress, made a poor showing, winning just six seats, five of which came from the Kashmir region.

In Jammu, Congress performed worst, managing to win only the Rajouri (ST) seat. In comparison, Congress had won five seats from Jammu in the 2014 elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) maintained its dominance in Jammu, winning all 29 of its seats from the region. The party failed to win a single seat from Kashmir. A significant upset for the saffron party occurred as BJP President Ravinder Raina lost his seat from Nowshera.

The NC's dominance was particularly evident in the Kashmir region. Out of the eight seats in Srinagar district, NC won seven. Prominent figures to lose in Srinagar included Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari and former mayor Junaid Mattoo.

In Kupwara district, NC secured three of the five seats. A notable NC loss came from former minister Nasir Aslam Wani, who was defeated by PDP’s Fayaz Mir.

In Baramulla district, NC won six of the seven seats. Several prominent candidates were among the losers, including former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Baig and former ministers Bashaarat Bukhari, Taj Mohideen, Ghulam Hassan Mir, and Imran Ansari.

Khursheed Sheikh, brother of MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, won the Langate seat, while People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone won from Handwara but lost in Kupwara, where he also contested. Engineer’s party failed to make a mark in the Assembly elections.

In south Kashmir, an area once dominated by the PDP, NC won 10 of the 16 seats. Prominent candidates defeated in south Kashmir included Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, and former PDP ministers Abdul Rehman Veeri, Sartaj Madni, and Mehbooba Baig.

The election results mark a devastating loss for the PDP, which witnessed a rout in its bastion of South Kashmir. The PDP had emerged as the single-largest party in the 2014 elections.

In the Jammu region, the BJP improved its performance, securing 29 of the 43 seats. This marks an improvement over the 25 seats it won in the 2014 elections when it formed a coalition government with the PDP. Prominent losers in Jammu included Lal Singh and Raman Balla of the Congress.

The AAP registered its first victory in Jammu and Kashmir as party candidate Mehraj Malik won from the Doda assembly seat, defeating BJP's Gajay Singh Rana.