Iltija Mufti, the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate from the Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency, has conceded defeat in the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. On Tuesday, Iltija Mufti accepted the people’s verdict as the counting trends showed her trailing behind Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri of the National Conference. This constituency, once considered a stronghold of the Mehbooba Mufti family, saw a shift in support as the election unfolded.
In a gracious statement, Iltija Mufti expressed her acceptance of the results and thanked her party workers for their efforts during the campaign. “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,” she tweeted after it became clear that she would not be able to secure a victory.
Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri, the National Conference candidate, led the race in Srigufwara-Bijbehara, with the BJP’s Sofi Yousif trailing behind in third place. The Mehbooba Mufti family’s connection to this constituency has been significant, with Mehbooba Mufti herself previously winning the seat as a Congress candidate before forming the PDP. The seat was once considered a traditional stronghold for the family, but the latest results indicate a decline in their influence in the region.
The Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency is part of the larger Anantnag–Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency, where Mehbooba Mufti faced defeat in the 2019 general elections. This marked the first major loss for the Mehbooba Mufti family in a constituency that had long been a political base for them.
Meanwhile, the broader trends in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections showed the National Conference-Congress alliance leading with 52 seats, while the BJP was ahead in 26 seats. The PDP, however, was limited to just 3 seats at the time of this report, indicating a significant setback for the party. Nine other seats were led by independent candidates and smaller parties.
This election, held from September 18 to October 1, 2024, across three phases, was a historic one for Jammu and Kashmir. It was the first election in the region in 10 years, and also the first since the central government abrogated Article 370, which revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories.
For Iltija Mufti and the PDP, the results signal a need for reflection and recalibration as they face diminishing influence in a region where they once held sway.
