Jammu & Kashmir Election Results 2024: Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, and candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency, conceded defeat on Tuesday, acknowledging the will of the people. Mufti, who had been trailing during the halfway point of the vote counting, expressed her acceptance of the election results and gratitude to her supporters.Iltija Mufti accepts election defeatIn a gesture of humility, Iltija Mufti took to Twitter to accept the election outcome, expressing her heartfelt thanks to her campaign workers and the residents of Bijbehara. 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. Her defeat comes as a significant moment for the PDP, as the constituency is considered a stronghold for the Mufti family.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 💚— Iltija Mufti (@IltijaMufti_) October 8, 2024National Conference leading in Srigufwara-BijbeharaBashir Ahmad Shah Veeri of the National Conference led the race in the Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency, surpassing Mufti, while Sofi Yousif from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held third place. The loss for Iltija Mufti is notable, as Bijbehara has long been regarded as a family bastion. Mehbooba Mufti herself had previously won the seat, first as a Congress candidate before aligning with the PDP.The result comes after PDPs Abdul Rehman Bhat held the seat for nearly two decades, from 1999 to 2019. However, the political landscape has shifted significantly in recent years, and the Mufti familys influence in the region has waned.A traditional seat and its political historyBijbehara, long considered a stronghold for the Mufti family, falls under the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency. Mehbooba Mufti had contested this seat during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but she was defeated by National Conferences Mian Altaf. This defeat adds another layer of challenge for the Mufti family, who have held political sway in the region for decades.Current election trends in Jammu and KashmirAccording to the latest counting trends, the National Conference-Congress alliance is leading with 52 seats, while the BJP is ahead in 26 constituencies. The PDP, which once held significant political power, is trailing with only three seats. Others are leading in nine seats at the time of this report.The election to choose 90 members for the Legislative Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir was conducted from September 18 to October 1, 2024, in three phases. This was the first election in a decade and the first after the central government revoked Article 370, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and reorganizing it into Union Territories.
