The 36-year-old daughter of former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, has admitted defeat in the Mufti family bastion of Bijbehara-Srigufwara. Bashir Ahmad Shah, a seasoned member of the National Conference (NC), was a formidable opponent.
Mufti was behind Bashir Ahmad Shah in her constituency by more than 4,330 votes.
“I accept the verdict of the people. The love and affection I received from everyone in Bijbehara will always stay with me. Gratitude to my PDP workers who worked so hard throughout this campaign,” she said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
I accept the verdict of the people. The love & affection I received from everyone in Bijbehara will always stay with me. Gratitude to my PDP workers who worked so hard throughout this campaign 💚
— Iltija Mufti (@IltijaMufti_) October 8, 2024
For the Mufti family, Bijbehara-Srigufwara holds deep personal and political significance. It has been represented by two generations of the Muftis, making it the epicenter of their political influence in Kashmir. However, Iltija herself has not spent much time in the constituency, a fact that adds complexity to her campaign. Her party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is relying heavily on its past developmental work to secure a victory.
As per various news reports, Iltija and her party still commands a major respect, with many saying that the party has indeed initiated many developmental projects in the past 25 years. The people believe that these efforts have left a lasting impact on the community.
The Bijbehara-Srigufwara constituency has historically been a stronghold for the PDP. Despite losing the larger Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary seat in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the PDP maintained a lead in this assembly segment, securing 20,792 votes compared to the NC’s 17,698. Since 1996, the Mufti family has successfully defended the constituency in every assembly election, a testament to their deep-rooted influence.
However, the political landscape is shifting. Over the past decade, the National Conference has been making inroads into the area. Bashir Ahmad Veeri, the NC candidate, has lost twice in a row from this constituency, but his supporters are confident that 2024 will be different. “PDP may have been strong here in the past, but NC has gained serious ground. This election will be a real competition,” says Waseem Mushtaq, a former PDP worker.
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Source: BT
