Former chief minister of India-held Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, is set to regain power as his party, the National Conference, won almost half of the total seats in the recent state elections. The alliance between National Conference and Indian National Congress secured an emphatic victory in the region’s first state election since 2014. With 42 seats won by National Conference and 8 seats by Congress, the alliance’s total tally stood at 50 in the union territory.
Meanwhile, the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, won 29 seats in the region, its best-ever performance. In a surprising turn of events, BJP secured a majority in Haryana, leaving Congress trailing behind. Congress alleged that the election results in Haryana were manipulated through tampered electronic voting machines, sparking controversy.
Despite the setbacks, PM Modi praised the voters of Haryana for giving a clear majority to BJP for the third time. The victory in Haryana, coupled with success in Jammu and Kashmir, highlighted BJP’s organizational efficiency and strategic leadership.
Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2024