Former CMs Omar & Mehbooba concede defeat

Srinagar: 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.

Also to fall by the wayside was People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone in the Baramulla seat in north Kashmir.

Rashid, a 56-year-old former MLA from the Langate assembly segment in Kupwara district, was arrested in 2019 and charged by the NIA under UAPA. He was the first mainstream politician to be booked under the anti-terror law. His campaign was run by his son Abrar, who thanked people for their “love and support”.

“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.

“With all humility at my command I accept defeat. And it is time to congratulate Engineer Rashid. I wanted to make a difference. I thought we should be empowered economically, socially and politically to be able to make a difference and be counted. We had suffered a lot in the past 30 yrs and been robbed of all our dignity. The people’s mandate is supreme. I accept the people’s mandate with all humility,” Lone posted on ‘X’.