The Hindu : NC swept out of power in J&K elections

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 11, 2002

Front Page

Front Page

NC swept out of power in J&K elections

By Shujaat Bukhari

Omar Abdullah... What went wrong?

SRINAGAR OCT. 10. The ruling National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir was swept out of power today with the party bagging only 28 out of the 87 Assembly seats for which elections were held in four phases.

The Congress and the People's Democratic Party (PDP), headed by the former Union Home Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, emerged as potential forces to stake claim for the government with the help of some other parties.

Mehbooba Mufti... A star on the rise

However, the NC has emerged as the single largest party. The worst setback for it was the defeat of its president and Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Omar Abdullah, at the prestigious Ganderbal constituency. He lost to the PDP's Qazi Afzal by 2800 votes.

For the first time after the NC patriarch the late Sheikh Abdullah entered into an agreement with New Delhi in 1975, the party is facing such a kind of defeat. Out of 87 seats in the Assembly, the NC has won 28 seats followed by the Congress with 20 and the PDP 16 seats. While independents have got 15 seats, the Panther's Party has improved its tally taking four seats, followed by the CPI(M), which has retained the Kulgam seat with the re-election of Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami. It has wrested the Wachi seat from the NC. The BJP also has suffered a severe jolt winning only one seat (Nagrota) as against six in 1996. The Bahujan Samaj Party has also lost three seats and won only one. However, the NC has wrested Sonwari and Kalakote from the Awami League and the Congress respectively. In 1996, it had a landslide victory with 58 seats in its bag.

Many Ministers lose

Apart from Omar Abdullah, the NC stalwarts who have lost the elections include Ministers Mohammad Shafi, Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, Chowdary Mohammad Ramzan, Peerzada Ahmed Shah, Surjit Singh Salathia, Harbans Singh, Khalid Suhrawardy, Sakina Ittoo, Bashir Ahmed Nengroo and Ajat Shatru Singh. The Speaker of the Assembly, Abdul Ahad Vakil, also lost the election. However, Abdur Rahim Rather, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mian Altaf Ahmed, Iftikhar Ansari, Ajay Sadhotra, Ministers, have retained their seats with a thin margin.

Qazi Mohammad Afzal of the PDP...Giant killer

In the Opposition camp, the winners include the PDP vice-presidents, Muzaffar Beig, Mehbooba Mufti, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Abdul Aziz Zargar, Javed Mustafa Mir and Ghulam Nabi Lone. In the Congress, the State Congress chief, Ghulam Nabi Azad's kin, Mohammad Sharief Niaz, wrested the Bhaderwah seat from BSP State chief, Sheikh Abdur Rehman.

In the Kashmir valley, the party sprang a surprise by winning four seats — Taj Mohiuddin (Uri), Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed (Kokernag), Abdur Rasheed (Sopore) and Mohammad Shafi Bhat (Amirakadal).

The major share, however, was taken by the Independents, who annexed 15 seats. Out of three People's Conference rebels, only one, Mohiuddin Sofi, won the Handwara seat by defeating the NC's senior Minister, Chowdary Mohammad Ramzan. At Khansahib, the former Minister, Hakeem Yaseen, an NC rebel, won the seat whereas the Awami League wrested the Bandipore seat from the NC with its candidate, Usman Majid, winning with a margin of 284 seats.

In Kupwara, the result was unexpected with the former Minister, Ghulam Qadir Mir, losing to the NC's sitting MLA, Saifullah, with a thin margin.

The Doda seat was also wrested by an Independent candidate, Majid Wani, from the NC by defeating the Minister of State for Home, Khalid Najib Suhrawardy. The NC lost the Kargil seat where an Independent, Haji Nissar Ali, has defeated the Minister of State, Qamar Ali Akhoon. However, it retained Zanskar where Mohammad Abbas has been re-elected.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

Stories in this Section

NC swept out of power in J&K elections

A vote for India's unity: PM

India, E.U. differ on Kashmir

Centre ready to do business with the new rulers in J&K

Six killed in Pak. poll violence

Salman's bail plea rejected