Jammu & Kashmir Election Results highlights: Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti concede defeat

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In a significant development in the Lok Sabha elections, National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti conceded defeat.

According to the Election Commission's data, jailed former MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid gained a substantial lead over Abdullah in the Baramulla constituency, surpassing him by more than 1.25 lakh votes. ''I think it's time to accept the inevitable. Congratulations to Engineer Rashid for his victory in North Kashmir,'' Abdullah remarked in a post on X.

Similarly, Mufti expressed her gratitude towards her supporters, while accepting defeat in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. ''Respecting the verdict of the people, I thank my PDP workers and leaders for their hard work and support despite all odds,'' Mufti posted on X. She emphasized that the results would not deter her party's mission.

Interestingly, National Conference Gujjar leader Mian Altaf and Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi were ahead by significant margins in their respective constituencies. Abdullah extended heartfelt congratulations to his colleagues, acknowledging their success even as he faced defeat.

'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,' says Jammu & Kashmir National Conference's chief Omar Abdullah

The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) holds a strong majority in the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, having won ten of the last thirteen elections. The Indian National Congress (INC) is the only national party to have ever won the seat, which they did in 1996. In the 2024 elections, the JKNC and Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) have both chosen candidates to run from Srinagar, with Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and Waheed Parra representing them, respectively.

--Ex-CM Mehbooba Mufti of Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) trails by over 1 lakh votes in Anantnag-Rajouri constituency of J&K.

--Former CM Omar Abdullah of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) trails by 61619 votes in Baramulla constituency of J&K.

JKN and BJP lead in 2 seats each out of 5 Lok Sabha seats. Mehbooba Mufti is trailing from Anantnag-Rajouri and Omar Abdullah from Baramulla.

The BJP has taken the lead in the Jammu and Udhampur Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, as reported by the Election Commission. Jugal Kishore Sharma, representing the BJP, is ahead of his rivals in the Jammu constituency.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh, also from the BJP, leads the race in Udhampur, strengthening the party's position in the region.

There are a total of 32 candidates contesting from these seats, but the spotlight remains on the BJP's current leading status.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: "It is the election of the nation. It will decide the course for the next five years. Let's hope for the best," says JKNC vice president Omar Abdullah.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: "It is the election of the nation. It will decide the course for the next five years. Let's hope for the best," says JKNC vice president Omar Abdullah.

--The counting of votes for the Jammu and Udhampur parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir began amid a three-tier security cordon and extensive camera surveillance at counting centres.

--Thera are 34 candidates, including senior BJP leader and Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Jammu MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, and former ministers Choudhary Lal Singh and Raman Bhalla of the Congress, in the fray from these constituencies.

--The counting will take place at the Polytechnic College and M.A.M. College in Jammu, while the Government Degree College Kathua will serve as the counting centre for the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat. Each centre is equipped with multi-tier security and round-the-clock CCTV surveillance.

Jammu and Kashmir elects 5 of 543 Lok Sabha seats.

Jammu and Kashmir recorded highest turnout in four decades at 58.58 per cent overall, and 51.05 per cent in valley: CEC Rajiv Kumar.

Ahead of the crucial vote count for the Jammu and Udhampur Lok Sabha constituencies, comprehensive three-tier security has been meticulously activated in the districts.

Returning Officer and Jammu District Magistrate Sachin Kumar Vaishya confirmed that security protocols are in place and emphasized that the staff and polling agents have been fully trained and briefed for the counting process.

--BJP's sitting MP Jugal Kishore Sharma aims for a third consecutive victory against Raman Bhalla, the working president of the J&K Congress unit, among 22 other candidates.

--Both BJP and Congress have expressed confidence of winning the seat. ''We are very confident that BJP will win this seat. It was predicted by the exit polls as well,'' Sharma said.

--The Combined Voter Turnout (VTR) at the polling stations for the entire Union territory (five Lok Sabha seats) was 58.46 per cent the highest poll participation in the last 35 years.

--The voter turnout of 50.86 per cent from the three parliamentary constituencies in the Kashmir Valley witnessed a jump of 30 percentage points from the 2019 general elections when it was 19.16 per cent.

--Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag-Rajouri in the valley recorded VTR of 38.49 per cent, 59.1 per cent and 54.84 percent respectively, which has been highest in the last three decades. The other two constituencies in the UT, namely Udhampur and Jammu in the Jammu region, recorded 68.27 per cent and 72.22 per cent voter turnout respectively.

--The counting of votes in Udhampur constituency where Union minister Jitendra Singh is seeking his third consecutive term will be held at government degree college, Kathua.

The counting of votes for Lok Sabha elections 2024, scheduled to begin at 8 am, will decide the fate of 100 candidates, including senior BJP leader and Union minister Jitendra Singh, two former chief ministers Omar Abdullah of National Conference (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).