As per the 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. National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah said his son Omar Abdullah would be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Track Jammu and Kashmir Election Results LIVE Updates
Speaking to the media, Farooq Abdullah said, "The people have given their mandate; they have proven that they do not accept the decision taken on August 5 (abrogation of Article 370). Omar Abdullah will be the Chief Minister."
Securing an impressive victory in Budgam and leading in Ganderbal—the two seats he contested—Omar Abdullah told the media, "Those who tried to finish the National Conference for the last five years have been decimated today."
Meanwhile, the Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for whom the stakes were particularly high, has failed to make a difference in the polls.
Her daughter, Iltija, who made her political debut by contesting from South Kashmir's Bijbehara, lost to National Conference's Bahir Ahmad Veeri. This constituency is steeped in her family's history, where her grandfather debuted in 1967 and her mother contested in 1996. Iltija conceded defeat and wrote on X: “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.”
Mehbooba Mufti, who opted not to contest this election, congratulated the National Conference (NC) leadership on their victory and said her party would play the role of a constructive opposition.
Mehbooba further said, "They (people) thought the NC-Congress alliance will provide a stable government and fight the BJP and keep it away. I think that is the biggest reason (for the victory of the NC-Congress alliance)."
The PDP chief said the Centre should take a lesson from the verdict and "not meddle" in the government's affairs.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the second-largest party, with 28 seats, according to Election Commission of India (ECI) statistics. However, party’s J&K chief Ravinder Raina lost his Nowshera assembly seat to NC's Surinder Choudhary.
Independents and smaller parties, accused of being proxies for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), struggled to make an impact.
Among these, Syed Altaf Bukhari, leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, failed to secure victory and lost the Channapora constituency in Srinagar to National Conference candidate Mushtaq Guroo. Bukhari conceded defeat, saying on social media: "I am thankful to the people who voted for me, as well as those who did not. I humbly respect the public verdict.”
Former minister Sajad Lone, who also faced allegations of being a BJP proxy, defied expectations to retain his seat. He took to social media to thank voters in North Kashmir’s Handwara, saying: "My gratitude and thanks to the people of Handwara. I will always be there to serve you. I can never repay this debt."
Meanwhile, Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party 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 brother, Sheikh Khurshid Ahmad won from Langate, the seat represented by Rashid twice in 2008 and 2014.
The assembly elections of J&k were held in three phases - September 18, September 25 and October 1 - after a gap of 10 years. This is also the first assembly election since the region was designated a Union Territory under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, passed on 9 August, 2019.
The three-phase elections resulted in voter participation of 63.88 per cent, as per the Election Commission of India.
In the 2014 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) emerged as the single largest party, winning 28 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made significant gains, securing 25 seats. The National Conference (NC) won 15 seats, while Congress candidates secured 12 seats.
After "ironing out" ideological differences, the BJP and PDP formed a coalition government which took the oath of office on March 1, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as chief minister for the full term of six years and Nirmal Kumar Singh as his deputy.
After Mufti Mohammad Sayeed died of a heart attack in 2016, his daughter Mehbooba Mufti took the oath and became the first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Mehbooba Mufti resigned in June 2018 after the BJP withdrew from the coalition.
Before the next assembly elections could take place in 2019, the central government abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
