Rumble in Kashmir Valley as Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah lose

The first Lok Sabha elections held after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K into two Union territories five years ago delivered unexpected results. Former CMs Omar Abdullah of National Conference (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) conceded defeat even before the counting of votes concluded on Tuesday.

BJP maintained its stronghold in Jammu region. Union minister Jitendra Singh, seeking his third consecutive term, won in Udhampur, while party colleague and sitting MP Jugal Kishore retained Jammu.

In 2019, NC had secured all three seats in the valley, while BJP won both seats in Jammu region.

In Ladakh, now a separate Union territory, the lone seat went to independent candidate Mohmad Haneefa, a former NC member who contested after leaving the party with the entire unit from the Shia-majority Kargil region. Haneefa triumphed over Tsering Namgyal of Congress and BJP's Tashi Gyalson.

In the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, NC's Aga Roohullah Mehdi defeated PDP youth president Waheed Para. Mehdi pledged to raisethe abrogation of Article 370, saying: "I will take the people's voice to Parliament and seek its restoration. This mandate increases my responsibility."

PDP chief Mufti lost to NC candidate Mian Altaf Ahmad in Anantnag-Rajouri. In Baramulla, former MLA and independent candidate Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid and currently incarcerated in Delhi's Tihar jail in a terrorist-funding case, defeated NC vice-president Abdullah. People's Conference president Sajad Gani Lone came third.

Rashid, arrested by NIA in 2019, is the first mainstream politician to be charged under the anti-terrorism UAPA. His sons - Abrar and Asrar - campaigned on his behalf.