Former Jammu and Kashmir CM and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah conceded the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir to the jailed independent candidate Abdul Rashid Sheikh, aka Engineer Rashid. The independent candidate is leading by over 1 lakh votes.
in a post on X, the NC VP said, "I think it’s time to accept the inevitable. Congratulations to Engineer Rashid for his victory in North Kashmir. I don’t believe his victory will hasten his release from prison nor will the people of North Kashmir get the representation they have a right to but the voters have spoken and in a democracy that’s all that matters."
People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Fayaz Ahmad Mir and Sajad Gani Lone of the Jammu & Kashmir People Conference are also trailing to the independent candidate.
NC leader Mohammad Akbar had won the seat in 2019 by a margin of around 30,000 votes.
Jailed in 2005 for a charge of anti-national activities, Sheikh Rashid is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time, having been an MLA of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.
Who is Omar Abdullah?
At the age of 38, Omar had become the youngest CM of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2009 after forming the government by joining hands with the Congress.
Son of Farooq Abdullah, he was also a part of NDA government as the Union Minister of State for External Affairs from July 2001 to December 2002 before resigning from the NDA government.
Published 04 June 2024, 08:03 IST