LOK SABHA ELECTION 2024 RESULT IIOJK: VICTORY OF IMPRISONED ENGR RASHEED

On January 4, 2024, Lok Sabha election results showed significant defeats for traditional parties like PDP, NC, and BJP’s proxy parties, including DPAP, People’s Conference, and Apni Party, in IIOJK. In Baramulla, jailed former legislator Abdul Rashid Sheikh, an independent candidate, defeated former CM Omar Abdullah. High voter turnout in Kashmir Valley, historically low in participation, signals strong resistance to BJP’s political influence. The election results in Kashmir indicate that Kashmiri people rejected BJP and its proxies, the candidates who advocated the restoration of statehood won in the Kashmir Valley. In Baramulla, jailed former legislator Abdul Rashid Sheikh, an independent candidate, defeated former CM Omar Abdullah. He was arrested in August 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, NC candidate Mian Altaf Ahmad defeated former CM and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti. Additionally, NC candidate Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi defeated PDP’s Waheed Ur Rehman in Srinagar. In Jammu independent candidate Mohmad Haneefa defeated INC and BJP in Ladakh. BJP candidate Jitendra Singh only won Udhampur seat. The revocation of J&K’s special status by the BJP has intensified local grievances.

The political narrative in IIOJK is steeped in anger over the suppression of rights, erosion of local autonomy, and demographic changes due to domicile laws. The BJP aimed to create a coalition government with the DPAD, Apni Party and PC, and has abstained from fielding candidates in the Kashmir Valley. This move attempts to split the anti-BJP vote and it focused on the predominantly Hindu Jammu region. This is the first parliamentary election in the Union Territory since the abrogation of Article 370.

The elections for the five seats in the state were conducted in five phases. It is pertinent to mention high voter turnout is seen by pro-Govt media as support for the abrogation of Article 370, but voters express a desire to reverse the 2019 decision. The election result indicates that Kashmiris have rejected Modi’s proxies, the Indian narrative of normalcy, anti-Muslim policies, and the abrogation of Article 370.