Jammu and Kashmir Lok Sabha elections 2024: Srinagar gears up for May 13 showdown

Lok Sabha Election

The high-stakes Srinagar parliamentary constituency is gearing up for an intense electoral showdown on May 13, with a staggering 17.4 lakh voters.

J&K has a total of five Lok Sabha seats, three of which are currently held by the NC and two by the BJP.

Spanning five districts of Kashmir, the Srinagar constituency has emerged as a veritable battleground.

The prominent candidates are Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi of the National Conference (NC) and Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

J&K Apni Party's Muhammad Ashraf Mir, Democratic Progressive Azad Party's Amir Bhat, J&K National Panthers Party (BHIM) candidate Hakikat Singh, Loktantrik Party's Rubina Akhter and 18 Independents are also in the fray.

With each candidate representing distinct ideologies and aspirations, voters will play a pivotal role in determining the direction of representation for Srinagar in the Lok Sabha.

Farooq Abdullah from JKNC won the parliamentary elections in 2019 with a winning margin of 37.49%. Farooq Abdullah defeated Aga Syed Mohsin from PDPJKN and PDP polled a vote share of 57.14% and 19.64% respectively. In 2014 Tariq Hameed Karra belonging to JKPDP won the elections, while in 2009, Srinagar constituency choose Farooq Abdullah from JKN. The voter turnout in 2019, 2014 and 2009 was 14.43%, 25.86 % and 25.55% respectively.

J&K has been under central rule since the fall of the PDP-BJP government in June 2018, with the last assembly polls held in 2014.

A significant development since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, was the delimitation exercise completed in May 2022 as part of the J&K Reorganisation Act, which revised the boundaries of 90 assembly and five parliamentary constituencies.