June 4th 2024.
Srinagar: The recent defeat in the Lok Sabha polls has dealt a heavy blow to the political futures of former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. The two leaders had vowed not to participate in the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir as long as it remains a Union Territory. However, their losses in the recent polls have raised doubts about their participation in the upcoming elections, which are expected to take place before September 30th of this year.
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah suffered a defeat by a margin of nearly two lakh votes in the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, losing to former MLA and terror-funding accused Sheikh Abdul Rashid. Similarly, Mehbooba Mufti, who was also a former chief minister, lost in the Anatnag-Rajouri seat by a margin of nearly three lakh votes to Gujjar leader and National Conference candidate Mian Altaf Ahmad. These unexpected defeats have raised questions about the participation of Abdullah and Mufti in the upcoming assembly elections.
Both leaders have repeatedly stated that they will not participate in the assembly elections as long as Jammu and Kashmir remains a Union Territory. In an interview with PTI in April of this year, 54-year-old Abdullah said, "I have made it clear that I will not be contesting the assembly elections in the current situation in J-K. This has been my stance since 2020 and it remains unchanged." Similarly, in an interview with PTI last year, Mufti stated, "I will not participate in the assembly elections until Article 370 is restored. When I took oath as a member of the assembly, I did so under two Constitutions - J-K Constitution and the Constitution of India. It may seem foolish to some, but this is an emotional issue for me."
This is the first electoral defeat for Abdullah in 22 years, while 65-year-old Mufti has now lost two elections in a row. She had also lost in the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 and 1999. The recent Lok Sabha polls have also seen the defeat of another prominent politician, PDP youth president Waheed Para, who is facing terror charges. Para lost to influential Shia leader Aga Roohullah in the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.
On the other hand, the recent polls have also brought in some new faces from Kashmir to the Lok Sabha. Rashid, who is currently in Tihar jail in a terror-funding case, emerged as the giant slayer of Kashmir politics by defeating Abdullah and pushing People's Conference president Sajad Gani Lone to the third position. Rashid, popularly known as "Engineer Rashid," has been a vocal advocate for human rights and has served two terms as MLA from Langate.
In addition, three first-time winners from Kashmir have also been elected to the Lok Sabha this year. National Conference leaders Mian Altaf Ahmad and Aga Roohullah defeated their more experienced rivals, Mehbooba Mufti and Waheed Para, respectively. Ahmad, who comes from a respected religious family, has a strong following among the Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir. Despite being initially reluctant to contest, he was eventually persuaded by the party leadership to do so. Roohullah, on the other hand, will be the first Shia from Kashmir to go to the Lok Sabha since 1971.
Roohullah's father, Aga Syed Mehdi, was killed by terrorists in an IED blast in 2000, prompting him to take the political plunge in the 2002 assembly elections. His first foray into politics was mired in controversy when one of his relatives filed a complaint claiming he was underage to contest the polls. However, the complaint was dismissed and Roohullah went on to win the election from Budgam seat. Both Ahmad and Roohullah have maintained a perfect election record so far.
In the past, Roohullah has not shied away from speaking out against the party leadership. He has also been vocal about the abrogation of Article 370 and has stated that he will raise the issue in Parliament. "I will use my voice to raise the issue of what was taken away from us. We do not accept the decisions made on August 5th, 2019. I will strongly advocate for its restoration and this mandate only increases my responsibility," he said.
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