The National Conference (NC) and Congress alliance has secured a decisive victory in the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Assembly elections. The coalition won a majority of the seats, paving the way for the formation of the new government.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win 29 constituencies, surpassing its previous record of 25 seats in the 2014 elections. Despite this achievement, the NC-Congress alliances triumph is seen as a strong verdict against the BJPs policies. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge emphasized that the victory reflects the peoples rejection of the BJPs anti-people policies, the violation of rights, and the misuse of constitutional institutions. He reiterated that restoring J&Ks statehood remains a top priority for the Congress.

This mandate has been given by the people of Jammu and Kashmir against the anti-people policies of the BJP, violation and oppression of people’s rights and misuse of constitutional institutions said the Congress chief in a post on X.

Omar Abdullah, having secured victories in the Budgam and Ganderbal constituencies, is poised to become the Chief Minister. His leadership is expected to steer the new government towards addressing the pressing issues faced by the region.

Setbacks for BJP

The BJP faced several setback in the Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections, including the defeat of its Union Territory president, Ravinder Raina, in the Nowshera constituency to the National Conference. The party also failed to secure any seats in Kashmir, with many candidates losing their seats. However, the party showed a strong front in Jammu. This indicates a lack of support for the BJPs policies and candidates in the predominantly Muslim areas of Kashmir.

Additionally, the BJPs efforts to gain a foothold in the Pir Panjal region of Rajouri and Poonch districts were unsuccessful, with prominent candidates like Choudhary Zulfikar Ali and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari losing by significant margins.

For the BJP, the elections were a crucial test of its policies post-Article 370 abrogation. NC-Congress alliances success reflects the publics desire for a return to the pre-2019 status. The new government, led by Omar Abdullah, is expected to prioritize the restoration of statehood and address the grievances of the people. Meanwhile, the BJP will need to reassess its strategies and policies to better align with the aspirations of the J&K populace.

These elections were particularly significant as they marked the first Assembly polls since the BJP-led governments controversial decision in 2019 to divide the former state into two Union Territories, J&K and Ladakh. The elections, with a voter turnout of 63.88%, signify a renewed public engagement in the democratic process.

During a press conference at the AICC headquarters in Delhi, General Secretary Jairam Ramesh and Media and Publicity Chief Pawan Khera announced that the coalition governments foremost priority will be the restoration of statehood. They also mentioned that, in addition to the individual manifestos of the two parties, there will be a unified programme to provide a responsible, responsive, accountable and transparent government.