Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir – October 8: Following the Election Commission's announcement that the pre-poll alliance of the Congress and the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) has surpassed the halfway mark in the ongoing elections, JKNC workers gathered in Srinagar to sing and celebrate.
As per the latest data from the Election Commission, the JKNC has secured 3 seats and is currently leading in 39 others, while the Congress party is leading in 6 seats. The celebration continued at the Congress office in Srinagar, where party workers and Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra joined in the festivities.
The election results will determine the political futures of several former ministers, including Tara Chand, Muzaffar Baig, Raman Bhalla, Basharat Bukha, along with Omar Abdullah, Ravinder Raina, and Yousuf Tarigami.
Omar Abdullah, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, expressed confidence in the alliance's position and urged the BJP to avoid any dishonest tactics. "We are hopeful that we will win. The decision made by the voters of J&K will be clear by this afternoon. There should be transparency; if the people's mandate is against the BJP, they shouldn't resort to any tricks. We formed this alliance to win, and we believe we will," Abdullah said.
Meanwhile, Waheed Ur Rehman Para, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate from Pulwama, acknowledged the upcoming challenges once the mandate is finalized. "We are hopeful that people will support our manifesto. In the coming hours, there will be more clarity. Once the mandate is clear, the real challenge begins. We are committed to fighting for the restoration of Article 370 and statehood," Para stated. He is currently leading by 7,995 votes after 10 out of 12 rounds of counting.
PDP candidate Iltija Mehbooba Mufti, daughter of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, is trailing with 17,127 votes, lagging by 5,067 votes. Despite her campaign efforts, she is struggling to gain traction in her constituency. Iltija accepted defeat graciously, expressing gratitude to the people for their support during her campaign. "I accept the verdict of the people. The love and affection I received from everyone in Bijbehara will always stay with me. Thank you to my PDP workers who worked tirelessly throughout this campaign," she said.
In the meantime, Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri of the JKNC has taken a significant lead with 22,194 votes, holding a comfortable margin of 5,067 votes.
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