The Chief Minister’s victory margin was more than double the number of votes that went to both National Conference and Congress candidates
|| ZAHOOR GULZAR
Securing a decisive victory in the Anantnag by-election, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has silenced her critics who had been reiterating that her alliance with rightwing Bhartiya Janta Party had made Peopled Democratic Party unpopular in the Valley. When the counting for the Anantnag constituency begun on the morning of June 25, Mehbooba, daughter of former Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, took the early lead and by the time the Electronic Voting Machines were closed her victory margin was more than double the number of votes that were polled by her arch rivals from both National Conference and Congress. 57-year old Mehbooba, the first female Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, polled 17698 votes out of total 28458 votes, defeating her closest rival Hilal Shah of Congress by 12086 votes.
Shah managed 5616 votes while as National Conference’s Iftikhar Hussain Misger bagged just 2811 votes. Mehbooba’s victory margin was 12,083 votes — double than that of her late father Sayeed who had died on January 7 this year at AIIMS after a brief illness. Sayeed had won the seat in 2014 elections with a margin of 6,028 votes. His death had necessitated the by-elections to the Anantnag constituency, which was earlier postponed twice owing to the security reasons. This time however Mehbooba had an edge over other contestants – the woman power was inclined towards her.
Most women voters including the first-timers from the constituency were excited about Mehbooba contesting from Anantnag. They were hopeful that she would work for development of her native place. No sooner the election result were out, Mehbooba’s ally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated her on the victory. “Congratulations to J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti for the phenomenal victory in the Anantnag assembly byelection,” Modi posted on his twitter
57-year old Mehbooba, the first female Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, polled 17698 votes out of total 28458 votes, defeating her closest rival Hilal Shah of Congress by 12086 votes.
The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was among others who congratulated Mehbooba on her victory. The Anantnag-win has paid way for Mehbooba’s entry to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly for the 4th time. She was first elected to the Assembly in 1996 on a Congress ticket from Bijbehara constituency. Later, in 2002, she successfully contested from Pahalgam constituency before winning the Wachi segment in 2008 Assembly elections. Though Mehbooba didn’t come out of her Gupkar residence on the counting day, her party thanked people of Anantnag for overwhelming support to the Chief Minister.
“The party thanks people for reposing faith in good governance and development initiated by PDP led government,” senior party leader Rafi Ahmad Mir said in a statement. Mehbooba, however, had maintained that the election was a matter of honor for her rather than a way to get elected to the Assembly. “I am already the Chief Minister. I need your votes for the honor. I need your support to carry forward the legacy of my father,” Mehbooba had said during her election campaigning in the run up to the polls. Mehbooba was sworn in as the Chief Minister on April 4 this year following her father’s death. She had to get a berth in either Legislative Assembly or the council within a stipulated six months to continue at the position. With this win, Mehbooba continued her undefeated run in the State assembly elections.
In run up the elections, however there was a debate whether PDP would be able to retain the seat in the backdrop of the party’s unpopular decision to ally with the BJP, post 2014-Assembly elections. A senior political commentator however argued that the Anantnag byelection had “little to do” with the PDP’s popularity or otherwise on the ground. “Political ideologies apart, today’s electorate is very mature and exercises his choice of voting keeping in mind his/her interests,” said the observer. “Here we had the Chief Minister on one side and the candidates from the opposition on the other side. It was quite evident which way the vote will go.”
However BJP, which is part of the coalition Government in the State, linked the elections results to the PDPBJP alliance. “The splendid victory of Mehbooba ji in Anantnag by-election is the reflection of people’s total rejection of divisive politics of National Conference and Congress as well as endorsement of the decision of PDP and BJP to enter into an alliance to form the government in J&K,” said State BJP Spokesperson Balbir Ram Rattan. “The most important aspect of the victory of Mehbooba ji is that the people have seen through the falsehood and guile of those parties which had unleashed a barrage of propaganda that vote for PDP would be vote for RSS.” The BJP spokesman said Mehbooba’s victory was the peoples affirmation that development, peace and progress matters and whatever the PDP-BJP coalition “did in one year was visible on the ground”. Mehbooba who is the Member of Parliament at present would require vacating the seat within 14 days from the date of declaration of the results to Anantnag seat.
With this win, Mehbooba continued her undefeated run in the State assembly elections. In run up the elections, however there was a debate whether PDP would be able to retain the seat in the backdrop of the party’s unpopular decision to ally with the BJP, post 2014-Assembly elections.
“Even if she wouldn’t resign within 14 days, her seat would automatically become vacant,” an official said. This is the second time, post -1996, when a sitting Chief Minister in J&K has contested the by-election to enter Assembly. In April 2006 Ghulam Nabi Azad fought by-election from Bhaderwah segment when he was the Chief Minister.
Candidates lose to NOTA!
The election threw up interesting statistics as three out of seven candidates who were in fray secured less vote than polled on None of the Above (NOTA) option. While a significant 365 voters pressed NOTA button, independent candidates Tejinder Singh, Masroor Ahmad and another candidate polled 209, 240 and 209 votes respectively much less than the number of votes than went to NOTA. None of the five independent candidates managed to poll 1000 votes. While 638 migrant votes were also polled on the segment, Mehbooba managed to take the lion’s share, 569 votes of the migrant votes as well. In total there were eight candidates in the fray and a total of 34 percent votes were polled in the segment amid sporadic protests in the Anantnag town and call for election boycott by seperatists. The polling percentage was however lesser this time compared to last two Assembly elections in 2014 and 2008. While 41 percent voters had exercised their franchise in 2008 lections the percentage of voting was 39 in last election.
‘Repeat of 1987 Rigging’
Soon after their results were announced at least five defeated candidates demanded re-polling for the constituency, accusing the PDP of misusing official machinery to “change and tamper with” the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Congress’ Shah and National Conference’s Misger termed the election result “repeat of 1987 rigging”. “Today’s rigging was akin to that of 1987. We are afraid that many youth will be forced to take up arms once again,” they said. All the five candidates held protests outside the counting centre. “I and my counting agents spotted an unsealed EVM, which according to norms should have been left untouched till Election Commission would have taken a call on it,” Shah told media. “Instead of taking action against the same, the electoral officer (DC Anantnag) threatened my workers of slapping Public Safety Act (PSA) on them.”
“The DC was working as an employee of PDP,” Congress workers alleged while chanting anti-Election Commission slogans. However the Chief Electoral Officer (J&K) Shantmanu told a press conference later on the evening of June 25 that the polling was incident–free and held in a peaceful atmosphere. “No major incident or untoward incident took place,” he told reporters in Srinagar. With this win, Mehbooba continued her undefeated run in the State assembly elections. In run up the elections, however there was a debate whether PDP would be able to retain the seat in the backdrop of the party’s unpopular decision to ally with the BJP, post 2014-Assembly elections.
The election threw up interesting statistics as three out of seven candidates who were in fray secured less vote than polled on None of the Above (NOTA) option while as none of the five independent candidates managed to poll 1000 votes.
