In a first, BJP takes lead from an Assembly segment of Kashmir

In a first, the BharatiyaJanta Party (BJP) has taken lead from any Assembly segment of Kashmir Valley during Parliamentary elections.

In a surprising development, the BJP candidate for Anantnagpolled more votes than the high-profile nominees of the NC, the Congress andthe PDP in volatile Tral segment, which witnessed a near-total boycott duringthe last leg of polls for Southern Kashmir’s Parliamentary segment on May 6.

   

According to official figures, the BJP polled 323 votes inTral followed by the National Conference which secured 234 votes, PeoplesDemocratic Party 220 votes, and Congress 144 votes.

When contacted, BJP candidate from Anantnag segmentSofiYosouf said they have first time taken lead from any Assembly segment ofKashmir.

“It is an achievement for us. Despite threats by the NC andthe PDP workers, our cadre came out to vote in some pockets of Tral,” he said.

Yosouf got 10225 votes of which 7789 were migrant and postalballots. In all the 16 segments of Anantnag seat, he secured only 2436 votes.

The LokSabha election in Southern Kashmir witnessed minimalparticipation with just eight percent electorate exercising their franchise.

Considered as stronghold of separatists, Tral constituencyrecorded 1.03 percent voter turnout in the election as only 1019 persons linedup before polling stations to cast their votes.

In the previous elections, the BJP never won any Assemblyseat in Kashmir nor obtained  lead fromany segment.

However, the party managed to send two members to the LegislativeCouncil during the PDP-BJP rule against the berths reserved for Kashmir Valleyin the House. While SofiYosouf was elected as MLC in 2015 for four years,  GirdhariLal Raina, a Kashmiri Pandit, gotelected  as member of the House in 2017.

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