October 8, 2024

IANS - New Delhi

She was contesting her first Assembly polls from the Srigufwara-Bijbehara in South Kashmir.

As per the latest Election Commission data, the PDP was leading in only four seats.

In a post on X, Iltija Mufti said she accepted the people's verdict and thanked her party's workers for campaigning for her.

"I accept the verdict of the people. The love & affection I received from everyone in Bijbehara will always stay with me. Gratitude to my PDP workers who worked so hard throughout this campaign," said Iltija Mufti.

The 37-year-old PDP leader was trailing the National Conference’s Bashir Ahmad Veeri.

The Srigufwara-Bijbehara has been a PDP stronghold for the past few decades. The Bijbehara Assembly seat, before delimitation, was previously represented by Iltija Muft's grandfather and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and her mother Mehbooba Mufti. Losing the seat is a major blow to the Muftis.

Polls were held here on September 18 in the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections, and a voter turnout of 60.43 per cent was recorded in the constituency.

In the 2014 polls, PDP's Abdul Rehman Bhat had defeated Veeri. But this time Veeri was doing well and was on the road to victory.

The NC has been trying to make inroads into the constituency over the past few years and campaigned vigorously.

The PDP won 28 seats in the 2014 Assembly polls. The party formed the government in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 in an alliance with the BJP. The BJP, however, withdrew its support in 2018.

This time, Mehbooba Mufti did not contest the Assembly polls and her daughter was the party's face in South Kashmir. Mehbooba Mufti had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but faced a defeat.

Elections to 90 constituencies in the union territory, the first election since the abrogation of Article 370 and the change in its structure, were held in three phases -- September 18, September 25 and October 1.

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