The INDIA bloc may have emerged victorious in Jammu and Kashmir, but the Congress party has suffered a setback in the Union Territory. The Congress and National Conference contested the polls together, but while the NC has gained massive ground at the cost of Mehbooba Mufti's PDP, the grand old party has lost support in the region in the last 10 years.
In the last assembly elections held in 2014, the Congress had secured 12 seats with 18% votes. However, in the current elections, the grand old party's number has plunged to just 6 seats with nearly 12% votes.
This would come as a great setback for the Congress as it had hoped to do better in Jammu and the Kashmir valley. On the other hand, the BJP has maintained its dominance in the Jammu region by winning 29 of 43 assembly seats.
The Congress-NC together have crossed the majority mark and Omar Abdullah will become the next chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. While Congress will be forming the government in the Union Territory, its performance will likely be seen as a drag on the NC. The Congress has won 6 of 38 seats it contested - less than 20% strike rate.
The Congress has won Wagoora-Kreeri, Bandipora, Central Shalteng, Dooru, Anantnag, and Rajaouri.
The NC is on course to win 42 of 56 seats it contested, clearly the number one party in J&K followed by the BJP.
Union Minister and Udhampur MP Jitendra Singh said this has been the BJP's best performance so far in Jammu and Kashmir. "We have won 29 seats and we are expected to win more. We contested this election purely on the issue of development," he said while speaking to reporters. He said the saffron party tried to rise above caste, creed, and religion and gave a new culture to this election.
"Welfare schemes in J&K reached every person across religions. INDIA bloc tried to polarise the elections but we contested inclusively. Congress has been swept out of Haryana as well as J&K. Congress contested on just 5 seats in J&K, out of which they have won on just 2. Our main fight was against Congress and we are content with the fact that the national trend has continued in J&K," he said.