The Baramulla constituency in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) holds significant sway due to its substantial population of Paharis, a linguistic minority in J&K recently granted tribal status by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
Following Jammu and Kashmir's delimitation in 2022, the number of assembly constituencies in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency surged from 15 to 18. This exercise, prompted by the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019, saw the assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir increase from 83 to 90.
The upcoming elections in the valley are set to witness a high-profile showdown between National Conference (NC) leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah and Sajad Lone of the Peoples Conference (PC).
Lone, who enjoys the support of the Apni Party, has labelled Abdullah as an outsider to Baramulla, which happens to be Lone’s hometown. In retaliation, Abdullah has accused Lone of being a proxy for the BJP.
Abdullah's electoral history further intensifies the contest, having secured consecutive victories in the 2009 and 2014 assembly elections from Beerwah, now encompassed within the Baramulla constituency.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Mohammad Akbar Lone of the NC defeated Raja Aijaz Ali of the PC.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Muzaffar Hussain Beg of Jammu and Kashmir's Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) clinched victory, defeating NC candidate Sharifuddin Shariq by 29,000 votes.
Despite Kashmir receiving only one new assembly seat post-delimitation, six fresh seats were established in Jammu, the BJP's stronghold. Notably, Trehgam, a new assembly segment formed in Kashmir, now falls within the Baramulla constituency. Additionally, two assembly segments, Budgam and Beerwah, formerly part of the adjoining Srinagar constituency, were amalgamated with Baramulla, elevating the total number of assembly segments to 18.
Baramulla goes to polls on May 20 in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, while counting is due on June 4 along with the rest of the country.
| Candidate Name | Party |
| Omar Abdullah | National Conference |
| Sajad Lone | Peoples Conference |
Also Read: Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE Updates: CAA's begun granting citizenship to partition victims, says PM Modi in a public meeting in UP's Azamgarh
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