SRINAGAR: As the high-voltage drama of counting unfolds in the Jammu and Kashmir, key constituencies in Kashmir are witnessing a mix of neck-and-neck battles and one-sided contests.
Leading the charge is JKNC Vice President Omar Abdullah, who is contesting from both Budgam and Ganderbal. He has taken a comfortable lead, securing a margin of 8612 votes in Budgam and 5144 votes in Ganderbal. He made an emotional appeal to voters in Ganderbal during his campaign—where he held his cap in his hands and pleaded, “My turban, my respect, my cap is now in your hands. Please protect my turban. Give me a chance to serve you.”. He is being followed by PDP’s Aga Muntazir in Budgam and Bashir Ahmad Mir in Ganderbal.
In Bijbehara, a PDP stronghold, Iltija Mufti is striving to uphold her party’s legacy. She trails by 3778 votes, while JKNC’s Bashir Ahmad Shah enjoys a strong lead of 19,332 votes.
Langate is another interesting battleground, where Engineer Rashid’s brother Khursheed Sheikh is running. He is facing stiff competition from Irfan Sultan Panditpuri of the People’s Conference (PC), who leads by 1,141 votes. Despite a familial connection to Rashid, Khursheed is struggling to gain ground.
Meanwhile, in Handwara, former MLA and PC leader Sajad Lone is holding onto a slim lead of 964 votes, with JKNC’s Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan closely following him.
The Chanpora constituency, newly carved out of Amira Kadal, sees JKNC’s Mushtaq Guroo leading by 2,996 votes, leaving political heavyweight Altaf Bukhari behind.
In Central Shalteng, previously known as Batmaloo, Tariq Hamid Karra is maintaining a strong lead of 8,758 votes, while Independent candidate Noor Mohammad Sheikh, a former PDP MLA, is second in line.
Shopian is witnessing a thrilling battle between Independent candidate Raja Abdul Waheed, a former PDP leader, and the BJP. The margin between the two is just 243 votes.
In D H Pora, JKNC’s Sakina Itoo is dominating with a lead of 10,000 votes. Notably, JKNC’s women candidates are emerging strong, with Shamim Firdous leading in Habba Kadal and another candidate securing the lead in Padder-Nagseni.
