BJP supporters celebrate party candidate Surinder Bhagat's win in Jammu on Tuesday.
Credit: PTI Photo
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections held in three phases assumed much significance as this marked the first polls held in the valley since Jammu and Kashmir was divested of its statehood and was re-organised as a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
The results saw the I.N.D.I.A. block featuring a National Conference-Congress combine sweeping to power in the State with the BJP emerging as the second-largest party.
BJP's emergence as the second-largest party in the 90-member Assembly primarily is due to its good performance in the Jammu region where it fetched a vorte share of 45.4 per cent.
The ruling party at Centre had won 25 seats in the previous elections held to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly where it entered into a power-sharing agreement with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) post elections.
The performance this time was a shade better though the party will have to sit in the opposition.
The party had fielded 62 candidates this time.
Among the notable winners for the saffron party included former minister Sham Lal Sharma, who bagged the Jammu north seat by a margin of 27,363 votes against his nearest rival and former National Conference minister Ajay Sadhotra.
Two-time MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia, who joined the BJP last year, won from Chenani segment, defeating his nearest rival and former minister Harsh Dev Singh by a margin of 15,611 votes.
Elsewhere, BJP spokesperson Ranbir Singh Pathania overcame stiff resistance from party rebel Pawan Khajuria to register his victory by a margin of 23,49 votes from Udhampur East.
In Basohli, BJP's Darshan Kumar defeated senior Congress leader and two-time MP Choudhary Lal Singh by a margin of 16,034 votes, while two-time MLA Garu Ram, won from Suchetgarh Assembly segment by a margin of 11,141 votes.
BJP candidates Arvind Gupta and Satish Kumar Sharma won from Jammu West and Billawar segments by 22,127 votes and 21,388 votes, respectively.
However, the party suffered loses in Surankote, Inderwal, Gurez and Lal Chowk.
Overall it was a mixed bag for BJP from the valley, though their decision to divest Kashmir of its statehood will come into open scrutiny now.
Haryana Assembly poll 2024 results| Check constituency results here
J&K Assembly poll 2024 results| Check constituency results here
Assembly Elections 2024 | In the first assembly polls since the Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi and the BJP face a rejuvenated and vindicated Opposition in the Haryana assembly polls. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir is voting after almost a decade and it remains to be seen how the abrogation of Article 370 has impacted the political landscape of the Valley. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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