Jammu Kashmir Election Results 2024 Highlights: 'Proud of BJP’s performance in J&K,' says PM Modi while praising party workers

In the first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, many prominent candidates, including two former deputy chief ministers and several ex-ministers, suffered losses. Muzaffar Hussain Baig, a former deputy CM, lost in Baramulla, with his nephew Javid Hussain Baig winning the seat. Tara Chand, another former deputy CM, lost to an independent candidate in Jammu. Other notable losses include former ministers Vaqar Rasool, Ravinder Raina, Raman Bhalla, and several PDP leaders, including Mehbooba Mufti's daughter, Iltija Mufti. Sajad Lone won in Handwara but lost in Kupwara. Despite high-profile campaigns, BJP candidates in Lal Chowk and Gurez also faced defeat.

Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed, the National Conference (NC) candidate who won the Lal Chowk assembly seat, expressed happiness with the election results, stating, "People have again proved that NC is the only party that can be trusted." The NC won 42 seats, while its ally Congress secured 6, giving their alliance a clear majority to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. BJP won 29 seats, all in the Jammu region. AAP also won its first seat in the region. Omar Abdullah dismissed exit polls as a "waste of time," and his father, Farooq Abdullah, declared Omar as the next chief minister.

ational Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday said he expects Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do the "honourable thing" by restoring the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. "A lot of things can be done as a Union Territory, clearly some things can't but we expect that J&K will not remain a UT forever. We expect the honourable PM will do the honourable thing and return statehood to JK at the earliest and then the rest of our manifesto will be implemented," the NC vice president, who is tipped to be the next chief minister of J&K, told PTI Videos.

Abdullah, who led the NC-Congress alliance to a victory in the J&K assembly polls, hoped that the prime minister will fulfil his promise of restoring statehood to the people of the UT.

"The prime minister, the home minister, they are all honourable men. In their speeches and interventions in Parliament, through their representative in the Supreme Court, they have promised restoration of statehood. So I believe it should happen at the earliest. And then obviously our priorities will go forward from there," he added.

The Election Commission of India congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the successful completion of the recent Assembly elections. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar praised the peaceful and participatory process as a triumph of democracy, saying, "Through their votes, the people have not only strengthened the foundations of democracy but have also illuminated the path of progress for the region." He highlighted the significant increase in voter turnout and candidate participation compared to previous elections, noting the absence of boycotts or re-polling in the final two phases as a historic achievement.

"The election in Jammu and Kashmir was historic in many ways. This election was the first to be held after the complete implementation of India's constitution. After seven decades of independence, many sections of the society didn't have the right to vote. In this election, they got the opportunity to vote for the first time. Many people claimed that the Jammu and Kashmir would burn if Article 370 was abrogated. However, it didn't burn, it blossomed," said PM Modi.

Omar Abdullah, the vice president of the National Conference (NC), stated on Tuesday that the INDIA alliance will only assert its right to establish the government in Jammu and Kashmir after the coalition partners convene to choose the assembly's leader.

Abdullah addressed reporters outside his home, saying, "Let the NC legislative party meet, I am not staking a claim to the chief ministership of J-K. It is for the alliance and the elected members to decide who they feel should lead the state over the next five years, and that is as far as I am willing to go."

He emphasised that the decision regarding the chief minister's position will be made collectively by the alliance and its elected representatives, based on their assessment of who is best suited to lead the state for the upcoming five-year term. Abdullah refrained from personally asserting his claim to the chief ministership, leaving the matter to be determined through the consensus of the INDIA bloc.

Omar Abdullah, vice president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), said, "Democracy has prevailed in J-K after a long time. People have announced their verdict... The results of a few seats are yet to be announced, but one thing cannot be denied people have chosen NC."

"The shortcomings have been filled by our alliance partners... Now that I am standing in Ganderbal, I thank every voter of Ganderbal... People worked hard for one day and voted for me, now I will work hard for the next five years for their welfare," he added.

He further said that he will decide in a few days about which seat he will represent.

"We have to call a meeting of the Legislative party, elect a leader of the legislative party, sit with the alliance, and elect an alliance leader, after which we have to stake our claim for the government. I will decide in a few days about which seat I will continue to represent," Omar Abdullah stated.

In the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, three women, including former minister Sakeena Masood of the National Conference (NC), won seats in the male-dominated Assembly. Sakeena Masood secured victory in the D H Pora constituency with a significant margin of 17,449 votes. Another NC candidate, Shamim Firdous, won the Habbakadal seat by defeating the BJP's Ashok Kumar Bhat. The lone BJP female candidate, Shagun Parihar, narrowly won the Kishtwar seat, defeating veteran NC leader Sajad Ahmed Kitchloo by 521 votes.

However, Iltija Mufti, daughter of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, and former PDP minister Asiea Naqash both lost their respective races. Out of 41 women candidates in the election, three were elected, compared to two in 2014 and three in 2008.

In the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, the National Conference (NC)-Congress alliance emerged as the leading force, winning a combined 48 seats (NC 42, Congress 6), putting them on course to form the government. Sajad Gani Lone, JKPC President, won the Handwara seat and vowed to fight for the restoration of J&K's statehood, criticising the BJP's "experiments" in the region. "... .The last time I was elected from here, I went to India's most empowered and powerful assembly. Today, unfortunately, after what happened here on August 5, I am going to India's weakest assembly. However, we haven't got that much seats as NC-Congress is leading in Jammu and Kashmir. We will fight for statehood on the floor of the assembly and wherever possible...," said Lone.

NC winning candidate from Ganderbal and Budgam assembly seats, Omar Abdullah said, "It the responsibility of NC- CPM- Congress alliance to stand up to expectations of the people and work for their welfare. It has now become essential for us to build relations with the centre so that we can solve the problems of J&K."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the National Conference for its 'commendable performance' in the recently concluded Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. In his statement, PM Modi said, "The National Conference has delivered a commendable performance in the J-K Assembly polls."

Furthermore, the Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction with the Bharatiya Janata Party's efforts in the electoral contest. "I am proud of BJP's performance," he remarked, acknowledging the party's campaign and the support it garnered from the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

In the recent Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, seven independent candidates emerged victorious, an increase from three in 2014. Notable wins include Satesh Sharma, who defeated BJP candidate Rajeev Sharma in the Chhamb seat by 6,929 votes, securing 33,985 votes. Former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, a Congress candidate and three-time winner of this seat, finished third with 16,449 votes.

Other independent victories included Payare Lal Sharma in Inderwal, who narrowly defeated veteran Gulam Mohammad Saroori by 643 votes, and Dr. Rameshwar Singh in Bani, who won against BJP's Jewan Lal by 2,048 votes. Choudhary Mohammad Akram defeated Congress' Mohammad Shahnawaz in Surankote by 8,851 votes, while Muzaffar Iqbal Khan won the Thanamandi seat against BJP’s Mohmmad Iqbal Malik by 6,179 votes. Khursheed Ahmed Sheikh and Shabir Ahmed Kullay also secured victories in Langate and Shopian, respectively.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the successful conduct of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, stating that democracy has been revived in the region, as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their high participation in the polls, marking the first time since the onset of terrorism in the 1980s that they experienced such a transparent and peaceful election.

Shah criticised the Congress for allegedly rigging the 1987 assembly elections and emphasized that under BJP rule, citizens could vote without fear. He expressed gratitude to the Election Commission, the Jammu and Kashmir Administration, and security forces for ensuring a successful electoral process.

Amit Shah said, "Modi Ji had promised the people of the country that we will conduct peaceful and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir. I am extremely happy that for the first time since the advent of terrorism in the 80s, the people of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed such a transparent and peaceful election and participated in the elections in large numbers.

I heartily congratulate the Election Commission, Jammu and Kashmir Administration, security forces and the people of Jammu and Kashmir for these successful and historic elections."

BJP candidate Devender Rana achieved the largest victory margin, winning the Nagrota seat by 30,472 votes. Rana, who previously won on a National Conference (NC) ticket, outperformed NC's Joginder Singh, who received 17,641 votes. The PDP's Rafiq Ahmad Naik had the narrowest victory, winning the Tral seat by just 460 votes in a crowded contest.

AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir also had a significant win, with a margin of 29,728 votes, followed closely by Surjit Singh Slathia from Samba, who won by 29,481 votes. The BJP secured five other victories with margins over 20,000 votes.

While NC emerged as the single largest party with 42 seats, only two of its candidates won by more than 20,000 votes. The tightest contests involved candidates like Kishtwar's Shagun Parihar, who won by 521 votes, and NC's Javaid Riyaz, who prevailed over People's Conference candidate Imran Ansari by just 603 votes. Sajad Gani Lone narrowly retained his Handwara seat by a margin of 662 votes, amidst several closely contested races. However, the win with the lowest margin was of PDP's Naik who won the Tral assembly seat in a multi-corner contest with just 460 vote margin.

The Kashmir Valley's assembly elections saw a decisive rejection of separatist candidates, including those from Engineer Rashid's Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, with most losing their deposits. Key figures such as Aizaj Ahmed Guru, brother of Afzal Guru, and Sheikh Ashiq Hussain were soundly defeated, receiving fewer votes than the 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option. The standout success for separatist-aligned groups came from Sayar Ahmed Reshi, a Jamaat proxy from Kulgam, while Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh, brother of Engineer Rashid, won from Langate. The National Conference emerged as the dominant force, marking a significant shift in the region's political landscape.

Vote counting has been concluded for the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the first assembly elections held since 2014. JKNC secured victory with 42 seats and crossed the majority mark with alliance partner congress who secured 6 seats. BJP secured 29 seats in the state.

Jammu Kashmir National Conference Vice President and winning candidate from Ganderbal and Budgam assembly seats, Omar Abdullah went to a counting centre in Ganderbal amid cheers of supporters and party workers.

BJP's state president, Ravinder Raina, lost his Nowshera seat in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections to National Conference's Surinder Choudhary by 7,819 votes. Despite this setback, Raina expressed gratitude for the BJP's overall success, as the party achieved a record 29 seats, the highest in its history in the region. Raina accepted the people's verdict and acknowledged the BJP's significant vote share. He previously served as an MLA and held leadership roles in BJP's youth wing and the state party.

Omar Abdullah, the National Conference vice president, expressed his gratitude to the voters of Ganderbal and Budgam for electing him in the recent election. He defeated his nearest rivals from PDP by a significant margin of over 10,000 votes in Ganderbal and 18,000 votes in Budgam. Abdullah received his winning certificate from the returning officer for the Budgam seat.

In his statement to reporters, Abdullah said, "There were attempts to destroy the NC over the last five years. So many parties were created here, whose only aim was to destroy the NC. But, God's grace has been on us and those who tried to destroy us, have been decimated in the process." He emphasised that despite the efforts to undermine his party by creating new outfits, the National Conference has emerged victorious.

Abdullah acknowledged that the verdict has increased the party's responsibilities and pledged to work towards meeting the expectations of the people over the next five years. He also thanked PDP president Mehbooba Mufti for congratulating the National Conference on their impressive win.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured its first victory in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections on Tuesday, with Mehraj Malik winning the Doda constituency by over 4,538 votes against the BJP candidate. This win marks AAP's entry into its fifth state, with celebration ensuing among its members. Later, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal expressed his appreciation for Malik's well-fought election and congratulated the entire party.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh praised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its strong performance in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, where the party secured 29 seats and could win more as counting continued. He attributed the success to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public welfare schemes, highlighting that the BJP's campaign focused on development without divisions based on caste, religion, or sect. Singh contrasted the BJP's inclusive approach with the INDIA bloc's alleged polarisation. He also noted Congress's poor performance, while the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) led with 41 seats.

Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP supremo, extended his congratulations to the party on Tuesday for their triumph in the Doda Assembly seat in Jammu and Kashmir, marking their entry into a fifth state. In the Doda assembly constituency, AAP candidate Mehraj Malik, a District Development Council (DDC) member, secured 23,228 votes, surpassing BJP's Gajay Singh Rana, who obtained 18,690 votes. Kejriwal expressed his appreciation for Malik's well-fought election and congratulated the entire party for having an MLA in the fifth state.

The Aam Aadmi Party, currently governing Punjab and Delhi, also has representation in the legislative assemblies of Gujarat and Goa. Atishi, a senior party leader and the Chief Minister of Delhi, emphasized that Arvind Kejriwal's "revolution" has reached Jammu and Kashmir through Malik's impressive victory.

Out of the 90 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, the AAP fielded candidates in seven constituencies. The party's headquarters near Mandi House witnessed celebrations by party leaders and workers, who distributed sweets and danced to the rhythm of drums to commemorate the Doda win.

NC winning candidate from Lal Chowk assembly seat, Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed said, "I am very happy... People have again proved that NC is the only party that can be trusted. BJP has only tried to weaken the National Conference but the people have given them a loud and clear

NC leader Omar Abdullah, who earlier won from Budgam, also won from the Ganderbal assembly seat. Ganderbal has been the Abdullah family's stronghold.

CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami won the Assembly election from the Kulgam seat in Jammu and Kashmir for the fifth time by defeating former head of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) member Sayar Ahmad Reshi by more than 7800 votes. Tarigami secured 33634 votes and won the seat by a margin of 7838 votes, defeating his nearest rival Reshi, who received 25796 votes.

Reshi was contesting the polls for the first time.

The CPI(M) leader has consecutively won from the seat since 1996.

"INC tried its best to divide people on religion. They even took Pakistan's name during their campaign, saying they want an LOC trade with Pakistan and even hold talks. Despite all this, we won a good number of votes and seats. This has been the BJP's best-ever performance since independence... Haryana and J&K have become 'Congress mukt'... No party has won a majority in J&K so far... We will hold a meeting with the state representatives and the national leadership on our next step, "Jammu: BJP leader G Kishan Reddy said on J&K Assembly election result trends.

On J&K Assembly election result trends, BJP leader G Kishan Reddy says, "No party has won a clear majority so far... We have the maximum number of seats ever in our party's history in J&K. Rahul Gandhi claimed that he brought down PM Modi's confidence, but the development done in 100 days of Modi 3.0 is clearly visible in J&K as well as Haryana... Our success rate in the Jammu region as compared to Congress is outstanding... Now Jammu has become 'Congress Mukt', they won only one seat in Jammu... We are leading on 29 seats with a strike rate of 68%."

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) celebrate at the party office in Doda as the party opened its account in the Jammu and Kashmir elections with party candidate Mehraj Malik winning from Doda Assembly seat and defeated BJP's Gajay Singh Rana.

People Conference president & candidate from Handwara, Sajad Gani Lone says, "...I am thankful to the people of Handwara. There was a different wave all around but I am thankful to the people for this grand victory...I think there was an undercurrent, NC played its cards right...They also go help with the 3-year of misrule here...We want the statehood to be restored and that Delhi stops experimenting...I think they (JKNC) will be able to form the government on its own...Our vote is for Opposition, not to sit with anyone. We have contested against NC, how can we go with them?"

"We hope that statehood will be restored, and Delhi will stop experimenting, and allow people of Jammu and Kashmir to choose their fate," says People's Conference president Sajad Gani Lone.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said, " I congratulate the leadership of Congress and National Conference for their outstanding performance. I also congratulate the people of Jammu & Kashmir for voting for a stable government...If it was not a clear mandate, then one would have thought that there could be some mischief..."

National Conference leader Javid Hassan Baig won Baramulla constituency by over 11,000 votes.

BJP's leading candidate from Kishtwar Shagun Parihar says, " First of all, what I will do is that, because of security issues, we have lost so many of our army jawans, I lost my father, some have lost their brothers and sons...my efforts will be to ensure that there is happiness in every house over here..."

"It (referring to NC's decision to form an alliance with Congress) was very good decision, we stand with India and we don't stand alone. If the state has to progress, we've to stand with the rest of the nation, so that we could remove the tragedies that have occurred in these 10 years," says National Conference president Farooq Abdullah as trends show Congress-NC alliance heading towards victory.

In the Suchetgarh (SC) constituency, Gharu Ram from BJP has secured 39,302 votes. Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed JKNC has garnered 16,731 votes in Lal Chowk (22), while Sunil Bhardwaj from BJP has received 34,550 votes in Ramnagar (SC). Additionally, Sunil Kumar Sharma from BJP has earned 17,036 votes in the Padder - Nagseni constituency.

National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah says, "People have given their mandate, they have proven that they don't accept the decision that was taken on August 5...Omar Abdullah will be the chief minister."

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah secures victory in Budgam constituency by over 18,000 votes, according to Election Commission.

Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Karra on Tuesday secured an unassailable lead over National Conference rebel Irfan Shah in Central Shalteng assembly segment, according to the Election Commission website. At the end of the 13th round of counting, Karra had secured 18,892 votes as against Shah's 4,523 votes, a lead of 14,369 votes. The NC and the Congress had entered into a pre-poll alliance in Jammu and Kashmir and there was a friendly contest between the two in five seats. Some leaders from the two parties, including Shah, had rebelled against their decision to join hands and contested the polls as Independents.

With polls trends indicating a win for the NC-Cong alliance, senior CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami on Tuesday said the writing is on the wall for the BJP that the vote of the people is against the Central government and its policies. Tarigami's party is part of the NC-Congress alliance.

"The writing is on the wall and the vote of the people is against the BJP government and its policies," he told PTI Videos.

Tarigami said there has been a bureaucratic and LG rule in J-K since 2018 with no representation of the people.

"This rule has only increased difficulties. With a new secular government in place, the people of J-K will surely heave a sigh of relief," he added.

He said there is happiness all round in J-K as the elections were conducted after long and the tends were encouraging as well.

The stage is set for the final outcome of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election, taking place after a decade. With stringent security arrangements in place, the vote counting is underway for the 90-member assembly, the first such election in the Union Territory since the abrogation of Article 370 five years ago.

A three-tier security system has been established across all 20 counting centres in the region, ensuring the process runs smoothly.According to an Election Commission official, the votes will be tallied on Tuesday, and the fates of the 873 candidates who contested in the election will be revealed by the evening.

National Conference leader Tanvir Sadiq officially declared as winner from Zadibal Assembly constituency.

National Conference workers celebrate outside party chief Farooq Abdullah's residence in Srinagar.

"In my constituency, not a single penny has been spent by BJP for development... The question is - can BJP tell even one developmental work done by them?," says Congress candidate from Basohli seat Chaudhary Lal Singh.

Former Rajya Sabha member and PDP candidate from the Kupwara assembly seat Mohammad Fayaz has taken an unassailable lead over his nearest rival and National Conference provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani. People's Conference president Sajad Gani Lone, who is also in the fray from this seat apart from contesting from the Handwara seat, was a distant third, trailing Fayaz by more than 19,000 votes.

Wani has secured 17,513 votes.

Peerzada Firdous Ahmad, a close confidant of Lok Sabha member Sheikh AbduL Rashid alias Engineer Rashid, has managed only 4,499 votes against Fayaz's 26,941 at the end of nine rounds of counting.

Only one more round of counting.

On J&K Assembly election result trends, Former J&K Deputy CM and BJP leader Kavinder Gupta says, " BJP is not far behind...we had told that we will win 35 seats and we are reaching nearby. towards the last round, we will achieve our target...We can only say something once the result comes...but it has to be accepted that currently they (NC-Congress) are leading and if they win, they will form the govt"

BJP candidate from Basholi, Darshan Singh says, "...I thank the people of Basholi as I have a lead of 12,000 votes. They want change, and are ready to go with BJP and PM Modi..."

Leading from the Rajpora constituency, JKNC leader Gh Mohi Ud Din Mir said, "There is a lead of 9000 votes after 6 rounds of coan unting. This lead will increase. I will win by 12000-13000 votes. National Conference will form alliance govt with Congress. I thank my voters for making me successful."