PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti is trailing in one of the most high-profile constituencies in south Kashmir, Bijbehara- Srigufwara, trends show. It is a stronghold of Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). National Conference's Bashir Ahmad Shah (Veeri) is leading in the seat.
BJP's Sofi Yusuf is also contesting the election from the seat. Iltija made her political debut with the assembly elections that were held for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370. This is the same seat from which Mehbooba Mufti had made her electoral debut in 1999. Iltija Mufti is banking on her family line.
The assembly seat, which witnessed intense campaigning before the polls, has been with the PDP since 1999. In the 2014 Assembly elections, Abdul Rehman Bhat of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (JKPDP) won the seat, defeating Bashir Ahmad Shah of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) by a margin of 2,868 votes.
"My family has always worked for the people of Kashmir. I hope to continue that legacy," Iltija said during a rally before the polls. Her focus has been on addressing issues such as unemployment, women’s empowerment, and the aftermath of the revocation of Article 370, which many in the region continue to oppose.
The fate of candidates on 90 seats across all 20 districts in Jammu and Kashmir we be decided today.