Jammu and Kashmir Election Results: 'Clear, Decisive Mandate', Says Jairam Ramesh; Omar Abdullah To Be Next CM

• The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir got its first elected government on Tuesday since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Polling took place in the Union Territory in three phases -- September 18, September 25, and October 1.

• The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir got its first elected government on Tuesday since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Polling took place in the Union Territory in three phases -- September 18, September 25, and October 1.

• The National Conference (NC) and the Congress alliance on Tuesday emerged victorious in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election by bagging 48 out of the 90 assembly seats. As per a new contentious rule, five more will be nominated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

• The BJP won 29 seats, with most of that coming from the Jammu region. In 2019, they bagged 25 seats.

• In Kulgam, Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has won his fifth consecutive election from the constituency, defeating Jamaat-e-Islami supported candidate Sayar Reshi.

• In a first, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) secured its maiden victory in the Union Territory as Mehraj Malik, the AAP candidate for the Doda assembly seat won by a margin of 4,538 votes.

• The Jammu and Kashmir's People's Conference candidate Sajjad Lone retained his Handwara seat.

Hello readers! Welcome to Outlook India's live coverage of the vote counting and results for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections 2024. We bring you real-time updates on the seat-wise tallies, winning candidates and more.

The counting of votes for the J&K elections is set to begin at 8 am.

Jammu and Kashmir is set to get its first elected government following the abrogation of Article 370 five years ago, a move by the central government that turned J&K from a state to a union territory, stripping it off its special status.

Pollsters projected on Saturday that the Congress-National Conference alliance would sweep the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.

The halfway mark of the 90-seat assembly is 24 and pollsters including India Today-CVoter, People's Pulse, Republic-Gulistan and Dainik Bhaskar predicted that the BJP might secure 27-30 seats whereas the alliance might be able to win an average of 40-50 seats.

PDP may bag around 5-10 seats, while other parties will get to around 101-2 seats in the Union Territory.

Some of the prominent candidates in the fray in Jammu and Kashmir are:

• Ravinder Raina (BJP, Nowshera)

• Choudhary Lal Singh (Congress, Basohli)

• Sham Lal Sharma (BJP, Jammu North)

• Raman Bhalla (Congress, RS Pura - Jammu South)

• Jugal Kishore Sharma (Independent - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi)

• Pawan Khajuria (Independent, Udhampur East)

• Usman Majid (Bandipora)

• Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurez)

• Taj Mohiuddin (Uri)

In the 2014 Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic party (JKPDP) emerged as the single-largest party with 28 seats, closely followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party with 25 seats. This lead to the formation of a coalition government under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Following his death, Mehbooba Mufti took charge as the Chief Minister but, she resigned in 2018 after the BJP withdrew from the coalition.

The National Conference (JKNC) bagged 15 seats in the 2014 polls, while the Congress won 12 seats.

The vote-counting process for both J&K and Haryana will take place simultaneously today at 8 am.

While Jammu and Kashmir had voted in three phases -- September 18, 25 and October 1. Haryana had voted in a single phase on October 5.

You can track the Haryana poll results with Outlook India here: Haryana Election Results 2024 LIVE

In view of the vote-counting process, security measures have been tightened at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC).

Ahead of the counting of votes, J&K BJP President and party's Nowshera candidate Ravinder Raina performed 'havan' in Jammu.

Congress' J&K unit leader Suhail Bukhari said, "We are hoping that the INDIA alliance will perform good. I am saying this very confidently that we will get good numbers, and the BJP will be wiped off. However, we should wait for some more time and then I will be able to talk in detail."

Security has been beefed up at Jammu's government Polytechnic College counting centre ahead of the vote-counting process today.

Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that as per local trends his party is receiving from Anantnag and Kashmir, "the results would be in favour of Congress-NC alliance and other like-minded parties".

"However, these are early trends, this will get more clear with time. BJP has no scope to form the government," Mir told news agency PTI.

BJP's J&K President and party candidate from Nowshera, Ravinder Raina, expressed full faith in his party and its alliance partners, and the Independent candidates, saying that they will together form the government in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The BJP will win 30-35 seats and about 15 Independent candidates and other candidates from alliance parties are likely to win," Raina said.

Security arrangements have been tightened at Ramban's district administrative complex ahead of the vote-counting.

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari exuded confidence in his party and said that the J&K assembly poll results will show that people want a pro-development government.

Asserting his stance, Bhandari said, "The BJP-led coalition will win the assembly elections of J&K...Without representation from Jammu, the government will not be formed."

The counting of votes has begun amid tightened security measures in Jammu and Kashmir, with this the early trends will start coming in a while.

"At SKICC we have arranged eight halls for counting for eight Assembly segments. Thirteen rounds of counting will be done. All arrangements have been made," said Srinagar Deputy Commissioner Bilal Mohi-ud-din Bhat.

The counting of votes is underway, with the postal ballots being counted first. As per the early trends, the BJP and Congress-National Conference alliance are in close lead -- BJP at 7 and Cong-NC at 6.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is leading in the early trends with 13 seats, while the Congress-National Conference alliance is following on a close second with 8 seats.

Notably, the postal ballots are being counted first.

"I myself am not contesting the election; we fielded some Independent candidates. My request is that whichever party forms the government should listen to the people and works on real issues - autonomy, resolution to Kashmir issue, human rights, governance, nepotism and corruption," Independent MP Engineer Rasheed told news agency PTI.

In the early trends, the BJP and Congress-National Conference alliance are running neck-on-neck with 19 seats each. Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is at 5 seats, while others are at 2.

As J&K awaits the results of the Assembly elections, the prospects of a National Conference-Congress government appear promising, if both parties can secure around 50 seats combined. National Conference (NC) insiders say Omar Abdullah, vice president of the party, will lead the coalition and be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

“We gave our best, presented our manifesto, and made people aware of the importance of their vote. We are confident that the people responded positively and came out to vote for the NC-Congress alliance,” says NC senior leader Tanveer Sadiq.

Read the full report here.

As early trends come in, the Congress-National Conference alliance take the lead with 24 seats, with the BJP following at a close second with 19 seats.

Does this mean that the Cong-NC alliance will make a comeback and form the government? Or will it be a hung Assembly? Stay tuned to find out.

Awami Ittehad Party and MP Engineer Rashid said, "Power is not a permanent thing...Jammu and Kashmir is not an ordinary state. On one side there is Pakistan, on the other side there is China. The world is watching us. Let the people of Kashmir live and give them their rights."

"External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar should not go to Islamabad just for a tour. He should not deceive the world that I went to the Shanghai conference. He should do something good behind the scenes for the peace of Kashmir...I urge that whatever government is formed in Jammu and Kashmir, it should act as a bridge between the people of Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi so that our troubles end," Rashid added.

JKNC vice president and party's candidate from Ganderbal and Budgam, Omar Abdullah said, "We have the hope that we will win. The decision made by the voters of J&K, we will get to know by today afternoon. There should be transparency...if people's mandate is against BJP, they shouldn't pull off any tricks...we did alliance so we can win and we are hoping to win."

The Congress and National Conference alliance has touched the majority mark with 48 seats, while the BJP is leading in 26 seats.

PDP is ahead in 8 seats, while others are in 2.

JKNC's Eidgah Assembly constituency candidate Mubarak Gul said, "National Conference will win the elections. People made up their minds to bring the National Conference into power. I am hopeful that we will win more seats than predicted in the exit polls."

As per early trends, the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance have crossed the majority mark of 46 with leads on 50 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is on 28 seats and the PDP on four.

Trends from the counting of votes show former deputy CM and Congress candidate Tara Chand trailing Independent Satish Sharma in Chhamb.

BJP's J&K unit chief and party candidate from Nowshera, Ravinder Raina, is trailing behind, with National Conference's Surinder Kumar Choudhary leading on the seat by a margin of over 5,000 votes.

Udhampur District Election Officer Saloni Rai said, "The counting process has started on the two counting centres in Udhampur. All the arrangements are in place. Proper security arrangements have been made...Directions have been given to maintain the decorum of the counting hall. The usage of electronic devices inside the counting centres has not been allowed."

J&K National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah is leading in both Budgam and Ganderbal assembly constituencies.

In Budgam, Abdullah is leading by over 3,000 votes while in Ganderbal by over 1,000 votes.

• Trehgam - Saifullah Mir

• Lolab - Qaysar Jamshaid Lone

• Sopore - Irshad Rasool Kar

• Uri - Sajjad Shafi

• Baramulla - Javid Hassan Baig

• Gulmarg - Pirzada Farooq Ahmed Shah

• Pattan - Javaid Riyaz

• Sonawar - Hilal Akbar Lone

• Gurez (ST) - Nazir Ahmad Khan

• Kangan (ST) - Mian Mehar Ali

• Ganderbal - Omar Abdullah

• Hazratbal - Salman Sagar

• Khanyar - Ali Mohammad Sagar

• Habbakadal - Shamim Firdous

• Lal Chowk - Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed

• Channapora - Mushtaq Guroo

• Zadibal - Tanvir Sadiq

• Budgam - Omar Abdullah

• Beerwah - Shafi Ahmad Wani

• Khansahib - Saif Ud Din Bhat

• Chrar-i-Sharief- Advocate Abdul Rahim Rather

• Chadoora - Ali Mohammad Dar

• Rajpora - Ghulam Mohi Uddin Mir

• Zainapora - Showkat Hussain Ganie

• DH Pora - Sakeena Masood

• Devsar - Peerzada Feroze Ahamad

• Kokernag (ST) - Zafar Ali Khatana

• Anantnag West - Abdul Majeed Bhat

• Srigufwara-Bijibehara - Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri

• Shangus-Anantnag East - Reyaz Ahmad Khan

• Pahalgam - Altaf Ahmad Wani

• Padder-Nagseni - Pooja Thakur

• Ramban - Arjun Singh Raju

• Banihal - Sajad Shaheen

• Gulabgarh (ST) - Khurshied Ahmed

• Nowshera - Surinder Kumar Choudhary

• Budhal (ST) - Javaid Iqbal

• Poonch Haveli - Ajaz Ahmed Jan

• Mendhar (ST) - Javed Ahmed Rana

• Wagoora-Kreeri - Irfan Hafiz Lone

• Central Shalteng - Tariq Hameed Karra

• Tral - Surinder Singh

• Dooru - Gulam Ahmad Mir

• Anantnag - Peerzada Mohammad Syed

• Inderwal - Mohd Zafarullah

• Doda West - Pardeep Kumar

• Rajouri (ST) - Iftkar Ahmed

• Shopian - Javid Ahmad Qadri

• Kishtwar - Shagun Parihar

• Bhadarwah - Daleep Singh

• Doda - Gajay Singh Rana

• Reasi - Kuldeep Raj Dubey

• Shri Mata Vaishno Devi - Baldev Raj Sharma

• Udhampur West - Pawan Kumar Gupta

• Chenani - Balwant Singh Mankotia

• Ramnagar (SC) - Sunil Bhardwaj

• Billawar - Satish Kumar Sharma

• Basohli - Darshan Kumar

• Jasrota - Rajiv Jasrotia

• Kathua (SC) - Dr Bharat Bhushan

• Hiranagar - Vijay Kumar

• Ramgarh (SC) - Dr Devinder Kumar Manyal

• Samba - Surjeet Singh Slathia

• Vijapur - Chander Parkash

• Bishnah (SC) - Rajeev Kumar

• Suchetgarh (SC) - Gharu Ram

• RS Pura - Jammu South - Dr Narinder Singh Raina

• Bahu - Vikram Randhawa

• Jammu East - Yudhvir Sethi

• Nagrota - Devender Singh Rain

• Jammu West - Arvind Gupta

• Jamu North - Sham Lal Sharma

• Marh (SC) - Surinder Kumar

• Akhnoor (SC) - Mohan Lal

• Kalakote - Sunderbani - Randhir Singh

BJP's J&K President and party candidate from Nowshera, Ravinder Raina, trails behind by a margin of 9,661 votes.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti's daughter and PDP candidate Iltija trails in Srigufwara-Bijbehara Assembly constituency by a margin of over 4,000 votes.

In J&K's Sopore Assembly Constituency, National Conference candidate Irshad Rasool Kar is leading by a margin of 5,506 votes while Congress candidate Abdul Rashid Dar is trailing by the same margin.

Afzal Guru's brother -- Aijaz Ahmad Guroo -- is also contesting from this constituency as an Independent candidate and is trailing by a massive margin of 9,195 votes.

National Conference's Javid Hassan Baig is leading while Independent candidate Shoaib Nabi Lone is trailing, both by the same margin of 6,431 votes.

Congress' Baramulla candidate Mir Iqbal Ahmad is also trailing by 8,191 votes.

J&K People Conference candidate Sajad Gani Lone is trailing in Kupwara by a margin of 10,416 votes. Meanwhile, J&K Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Mir Mohammad Fayaz is leading with a margin of 3,995 votes.

In Nagrota Assembly constituency, BJP candidate Devender Singh Rana is leading by a margin of 15,226 votes, while National Conference's Joginder Singh and Congress' Balbir Singh are trailing.

J&K National Conference vice president and party candidate Omar Abdullah is leading in Baramulla by a margin of over 8,000 votes while PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi is trailing.

J&K National Conference vice president and party candidate Omar Abdullah is leading in Ganderbal Assembly constituency by a margin of over 5,000 votes while PDP candidate Bashir Ahmad Mir is trailing.

Congress Basohli candidate Chaudhary Lal Singh slammed the BJP and said, "In my constituency, not a single penny has been sent by BJP for development...The question is - can BJP tell even one developmental work done by them?"

J&K National Conference candidate Nazir Ahmad Khan wins from the Gurez (ST) Assembly constituency with 8,378 votes.

The Bharatiya Janata Party registered its first win in the J&K Assembly elections as candidate Darshan Kumar bagged the Basohli seat with 31,874 votes, as per Election Commission data.

J&K National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah continues to lead in both Ganderbal and Budgam Assembly constituencies.

In Ganderbal, Abdullah is ahead by a margin of 5,448 votes, while in Budgam by 12,846 votes.

PDP candidate from Srigufwara-Bijbehara and former CM Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija has conceded defeat.

"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," Iltija said in a post on X.

She has been trailing from the seat by a margin of 8,758 votes.

J&K National Conference Salman Sagar has won from the Hazratbal Assembly constituency with 18,890 votes.

BJP's Ranbir Singh Pathania has won from the Udhampur East Assembly constituency with 32,996 votes.

National Conference's Zadibal candidate, Tanvir Sadiq, has registered the third win for the party with 22,189 votes.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's Jammu West candidate Arvind Gupta has won from the seat with a staggering 41,963 votes.

The BJP has recorded two more wins -- Balwant Singh Mankotia has won the Chenani seat while Satish Kumar Sharma has won the Billawar constituency.

Mankotia bagged 47,990 votes and Sharma bagged 44,629 votes.

BJP's seat tally is now at six as the party has been showing strong performance in the Jammu region. The party has registered another win, with candidate Sham Lal Sharma winning Jammu North with 47,219 votes.

J&K National Conference candidate Sakeena Masood has won from the DH Pora Assembly constituency with 36,623 votes.

Of the 52 seats the Congress-National Conference alliance is leading in, the EC has confirmed six wins.

NC's Vice President Omar Abdullah has won from the Budgam constituency with 36,010 votes, while Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed has bagged the Lal Chowk seat with 16,731 votes.

With BJP's Suchetgarh (SC) candidate, Gharu Ram, winning the seat by a margin of 11,141 votes, the total confirmed seat tally of the party stands at 7.

Outlook India's Ubeer Naqushbandi reports from the ground from Jammu and Kashmir as vote-counting is underway in the Union Territory.

Listen In:

Outlook India's Senior Special Correspondent Naseer Ganai reports from the ground with latest updates as Congress-National Conference alliance is shown to lead in 52 seats, with a high possibility of returning to the U/T.

Listen In:

J&K Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate from Pulwama, Waheed Ur Rehman Para, has won the seat with 24,716 votes.

BJP has won two more seats -- Sunil Bhardwaj wins Ramnagar (SC) with 34,550 votes and Sunil Kumar Sharma wins Padder-Nagseni with 17,036 votes.

With this, the party's total seat tally reaches 9.

As Congress-National Conference is set to return to power in Jammu Kashmir, JKNC chief Farooq Abdullah has announced that party vice president Omar Abdullah will be the chief minister of the Union Territory.

List of BJP's winning seats in J&K so far

Padder-Nagseni

Udhampur East

Udhampur West

Chenani

Ramnagar

Billawar

Basohli

Hiranagar

Suchetgarh

R.S Pura-Jammu South

Bahu

Jammu West

Jammu North

Kishtwar

List of JKNC's winning seats so far

Trehgam

Baramulla

Pattan

Gurez

Hazratbal

Khanyar

Lal Chowk

Zadibal

Budgam

Beerwah

Khansahib

Pampore

D.H. Pora

Pahalgam

Budhal

Commneting on the current trends of vote counting, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti at a press conference in Srinagar said, 'PDP is giving a tough fight. Which party is fighting against the National Conference in Kashmir? It's PDP..Ours seats may be less, but we are a force to reckon with."

As per latest trends for the 90 assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference (NC) and the Congress, which contested the elections together, are set for a comfortable majority. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the second largest party, with 28 seats, according to Election Commission of India (ECI) statistics. 

Read full report here

As of now, JKNC tasted victory in Trehgam, Baramulla, Pattan, Gurez, Hazratbal, Khanyar, Lal Chowk, Zadibal, Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Pampore, D.H. Pora, Pahalgam, Budhal, Rafiabad, Gulmarg, Sonawari, Eidgah, Kokernag, Anantnag West.

BJP so gfar has bagged 17 seats including Padder-Nagseni, Udhampur East, Udhampur West, Chenani, Ramnagar, Billawar, Basohli, Hiranagar, Suchetgarh, R.S Pura-Jammu South, Bahu, Jammu West, Jammu North, Kishtwar, Kathua, Vijaypur, Kishtwar.

All 10 Independent candidates supported by the banned outfit Jamaat-e-Islami are trailing in their respective constituencies, as per 2.30 PM ECI trends.

Sayar Reshi is trailing behind Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami of the CPI(M) in Kulgam. While former Bandipora district president of the Jamaat, Hafiz Mohammad Sikander Malik is trailing behind Congress’ Nizam Uddin Bhat by 773 votes.

Dr Talat Majeed has lost to PDP’s Waheed Ur Rehman Para in Pulwama, Abdul Rehman Shalla has lost in Baramulla, Nazir Ahmad in Rafiabad, Manzoor Ahmad Kaloo in Sopore, and Farooq Ahmad Ganai in Beerwah.

While Ajaz Ahmad Mir is trailing in Zainapora, Nazir Ahmad Bhat in Devsar and Dr Kaleemullah Lone in Langate.

In Kulgam, Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has won his fifth consecutive election from the constituency, defeating Jamaat-e-Islami supported candidate Sayar Reshi.

The region known as the rice bowl of the Valley, has long been an outlier in Kashmir with its distinctive red flags, sometimes worn even as headgear. Kulgam has been a battleground of ideology, with intense debates on whether Islam and Marxism can coexist in a Muslim society

Yousuf Tarigami was deeply influenced by Abdul Kabir Wani of Chawalgam in his communist ideals. In 1967, at just 18, he and Ghulam Nabi Malik led a protest demanding increased admissions at Anantnag Degree College. That same year, his activism escalated when he was imprisoned for advocating farmers' rights against the forced procurement of rice. Following the 1975 Indira-Sheikh Accord, which made Jammu and Kashmir a constituent unit of India, Yousuf Tarigami began advocating for self-determination.

This stance led to further imprisonment. The name "Tarigami" originated during a press briefing with Sheikh Abdullah, the then chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. When asked about the arrest of Mohammed Yousuf Rather, Abdullah referred to him as “wo jo Tarigam wala” (the one from Tarigam), linking Rather to his native village. This remark led to the popularisation of the name.

While both Reshi and Tarigami spoke of revolution and a new Kashmir, during the campaign, Tarigami sought votes based on his record as a four-time MLA. He has bene highlighting the developmental projects he implemented and rose concerns about Jamaat's alleged connections to violence and militancy.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) bagged Jammu and Kashmir's Doda assembly seat. AAP candidate Mehraj Malik won by a margin of 4,538 votes. Malik, a District Development Council (DDC) member, polled 23,228 votes against BJP's Gajay Singh Rana's 18,690 votes.

Jammu & Kashmir National Conference - 36

Bharatiya Janata Party - 26

Indian National Congress - 6

Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party - 3

Aam Aadmi Party - 1

Jammu & Kashmir People Conference - 0

Communist Party of India (Marxist) - 0

Independent - 5

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers celebrate at the party office in Doda after party's maiden victory in the Jammu and Kashmir elections with Mehraj Malik winning from Doda Assembly seat.

The Mehbooba Mufti-led People’s Democratic Party has failed to revive itself in the way it had hoped, with Mehbooba's daughter Iltija falling behind in Bijbehara, once a family bastion.

The party, which governed J&K in coalition with the BJP from 2015 to 2018, has seen a significant decline, dropping from 28 seats in the 2014 Assembly elections to leading in only four constituencies, according to 2 pm ECI trends.

Noor Ahmad Baba, a Political Science professor at Kashmir University, believes that the PDP's waning popularity is linked to its past alliance with the BJP, which many believe helped the BJP gain a foothold in the state. He noted that the electorate appears to have “grown wiser” this time, voting with the understanding that a divided mandate could empower the BJP.

Read full report here

Jammu & Kashmir National Conference - 39

Bharatiya Janata Party - 27

Indian National Congress - 6

Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party - 3

Jammu & Kashmir People Conference - 1

Aam Aadmi Party - 1

Communist Party of India (Marxist) - 0

Independent - 7

As the Congress-National Conference alliance crosses majority mark by winning 47 out of the 90 seats, party workers celebrate outside Congress office in Srinagar.

Commenting on the victory of NC-Congress alliance in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress leader Harish Rawat said, "NC-Congress are getting clear majority, we will fulfil the promise of giving a good government. It was surprising in Haryana. Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that counting was delayed at many places, he has expressed hope that Congress will form the government, I am also having hope that Congress is winning. The exit polls showed results in favour of us, this is a question to think. The counting is in progress, we hope for a win."

Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party, which fielded 34 candidates in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, struggled to make an impact, securing only one seat—won by Rashid's brother.

Despite gaining momentum since his Lok Sabha election victory, which he campaigned for from Tihar Jail, his party has not performed the way he would have hoped.

Rashid's younger brother, Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh, a former teacher, contested from Langate, a constituency twice held by Rashid, and won against Irfan Sultan Pandithpuri of the People’s Conference by approximately 1,600 votes.

Following his victories in both Ganderbal and Budgam assembly seats, NC vice chief Omar Abdullah said, "No one can deny that people of Jammu and Kashmir have shown love to the National Conference, and whatever that was left made up by our alliance partners. I would just like to thank all the voters," says as Congress-NC alliance wins J&K Assembly polls.

Commenting on the victory of the NC-Congress alliance in J&K, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said,"People of Jammu and Kashmir have given a clear decisive and convincing mandate to the National Conference-Congress alliance. The priority for the alliance would be the restoration of the statehood."

Jammu & Kashmir National Conference - 42

Bharatiya Janata Party - 29

Indian National Congress - 6

Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party - 3

Jammu & Kashmir People Conference - 1

Communist Party of India (Marxist) - 1

Aam Aadmi Party - 1

Independent- 7

Tarigami, the state secretary of the CPI(M), is a major political figure in Jammu and Kashmir. Since 1996, he has consistently won Assembly elections from his constituency, representing a unique communist voice in the region. His political journey began in 1970, and in 1979, he was arrested under the Public Safety Act for his activities as a young communist worker.

"They replaced all good laws of J&K after the abrogation, including the Agrarian Reforms Act, but retained the Public Safety Act," he tells Outlook in an interview.

Read full story here

It has been about five years since the abrogation of Article 370 and yet a profound ambivalence still lingers in the air in Kashmir. The people remain caught in a web of uncertainty—torn between two competing realities.

On the one hand, there is an undeniable sense of loss—the stripping away of a special status that once defined the region’s unique identity within the Indian Union—and on the other, there is a tentative hope that perhaps this new order will bring opportunities that the past had failed to deliver.

Read full story here

Following BJP's defeat in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elctions 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi poated on X, "These elections in Jammu and Kashmir have been very special. They were held for the first time after the removal of Articles 370 and 35(A) and witnessed a high turnout, thus showing the people’s belief in democracy. I compliment each and every person of Jammu and Kashmir for this."

"I am proud of the BJP’s performance in Jammu and Kashmir. I thank all those who have voted for our Party and placed their trust in us. I assure the people that we will keep working for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir. I also appreciate the industrious efforts of our Karyakartas. I would like to compliment JKNC for their commendable performance in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections", he added.