Shreya Varanasi, Pune
After winning the Assembly elections with 49 seats out of 90, the Congress-National Conference alliance is on track to form the government in Jammu & Kashmir. Of these 49 seats, six seats belong to the Indian National Congress, forty-two to the National Conference, and one seat to the Communist Party of India (Marxist)—CPI (M).
Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference declared, “Omar Abdullah Banega J&K Chief Minister,” following the party’s successful performance in the polls held in Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the BJP’s performance in the Union Territory. He thanked all those who voted for the BJP and placed their trust in them. Farooq Abdullah also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep his word and reinstate statehood that was taken away five years ago with the repeal of Article 370. One of the NC-Congress alliance’s main polling promises was the restoration of statehood.
Days after taking office for a third consecutive term earlier this year in June, PM Modi declared that the day is not far when Jammu and Kashmir can determine its future as a state. At an election rally in Srinagar, he reiterated the pledge, stating that his party had promised in Parliament that they would restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and that the BJP would fulfil this commitment.
On the other hand, The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Mehbooba Mufti, was able to capture a mere three seats. After winning 28 seats in 2014, the party became single largest without a majority and hence partnered with the BJP to form the government. After ten years, the party has performed worse than when it first started in 1999. Following the election results, Mufti accepted defeat and said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir for voting for a stable government. Meanwhile, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has won its first-ever election in Jammu & Kashmir thanks to Mehraj Malik who won from Doda.
The assembly elections for Jammu and Kashmir’s 90 constituencies were held after a decade-long break, in three parts – September 18, September 25, and October 1. Since Article 370, which split the previous state into the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, was repealed in August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir has not held assembly elections before. This election resulted in a voter turnout of 63.88%, as revealed by the Election Commission of India.