Jammu and Kashmir’s grand old party, the National Conferencehas won all three Lok Sabha seats in the Kashmir valley, officials said.
The party president Farooq Abdullah has won from the centralKashmir seat while Muhammad Akbar Lone and Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi wonfrom north and south Kashmir seats.
This is Farooq Abdullah fourth straight win in theparliamentary elections.
In 2009, Farooq Abdullah had emerged victorious in this seatby defeating the JKPDP candidate by a margin of 30,242 votes which was 10.69%of the total votes polled. JKN had a vote share of 51.99% in 2019, in theconstituency. There were 15 contestants in 2009.
This is the fourth win in a Lok Sabha election for the83-year-old three time former chief minister, who has so far lost an electiononly once in his 42-year political career since his debut in 1980.
Abdullah was first elected as member of Lok Sabha in 1980.However, he returned to state politics in the wake of failing health of hisfather and National Conference leader Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah in 1981.
He succeeded as chief minister of the state in September1982 following his father’s death.
Abdullah won in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls but lost to PDPcandidate Tariq Hamid Karra in the 2014 elections.
However, he won the 2017 by-polls to the Lok Sabha afterKarra resigned from the PDP as well the Lok Sabha in 2016.
Conceding defeat, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufticongratulated the NC while maintaining that the people of the state have everyright to be angry with her and that she accepts the verdict with humility.