Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: Omar, Mufti toppled by underdogs

Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah

The Lok Sabha election results in Kashmir have sprung a few surprises as former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were humbled at the hustings by lesser-known candidates.

While Mufti lost to Gujjar leader and National Conference candidate Mian Altaf Ahmad by a huge margin in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, Abdullah was defeated by former MLA and terror financing accused Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid in Baramulla.

"I am thankful to people who not only supported our campaign but showered their love and converted it into votes as well. Winning or losing doesn't matter much to us. What matters to me is the love we got from the people," Abrar told reporters after his father took a substantial lead.

Abdullah conceded defeat and congratulated Rashid on his victory. "I think it's time to accept the inevitable. Congratulations to Engineer Rashid for his victory in North Kashmir," Abdullah said in a post on ‘X'.

He said voters have spoken and in a democracy, that is all that matters. "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," Abdullah said.

Lone also conceded defeat and congratulated Rashid.

BJP ahead in J-K

The BJP, which is maintaining leads on two seats in Jammu and Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir, bagged the highest share of more than 24 per cent votes, as per data of ECI. Even as the counting is in its final phase, the BJP got 24.36 per cent (12,44,404) vote share.

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