Baramulla and Anantnag-Rajouri: Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti trailing. Who is Engineer Rashid?

Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, two former chief ministers of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, were trailing in their Baramulla and Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively, in the first 2.30 hours of counting on Tuesday, according to the Election Commission of India.

Omar Abdullah, the vice president of the National Conference (NC) was trailing by over 41,220 votes against his nearest rival and independent candidate Sheikh Abdul Rashid (Engineer Rashid).

The National Conference leader is locked in a virtual triangular contest for the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat with separatist-turned-mainstream politician Sajad Gani Lone and Sheikh Abdul Rashid, a former MLA, currently lodged in Tihar jail in a UAPA case.

Mehbooba Mufti, the president of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), who is up against prominent Gujjar and National Conference leader Mian Altaf Ahmad in Anantnag-Rajouri seat, was trailing by over 88,198 votes.

Who is Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid?

• Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid is currently lodged in the Tihar Jail in a terror-funding case.
• Engineer Rashid, a former two-time MLA who heads the Awami Ittehad Party, was one of 22 candidates in the fray from Baramulla.
• Rashid was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2019 on charges of terror-funding activities, becoming the first mainstream leader to be held under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
• His two sons Abrar Rashid and Asrar Rashid, who led the election campaign for their father, expressed confidence that the massive crowds witnessed in the rallies would turn into votes for Rashid, leading to his release from prison.
• Rashid won the Langate assembly segment in 2008 and 2014 and also unsuccessfully contested the 2019 parliamentary elections. While he leads the Awami Ittehad Party, he contested these elections as an Independent.