J&K election results 2024: 18 contests to watch on counting day

The counting of votes for the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir election will take place on Tuesday, the final stage before the Union territory gets its first elected government since the abrogation of Article 370.

Assembly elections 2024: Full Coverage

The Congress-National Conference alliance, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the main stakeholders in the keenly watched assembly election. The exit polls on Saturday have put the NC-Congress alliance in pole position with the regional party getting the lion's share of the seats.

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Here are the five key constituencies to watch on the counting day:-

Ganderbal

Ganderball falls under Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah is contesting from this seat. Considered to be a National Conference stronghold, this constituency has elected Sheikh Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah in the past. Omar's closest rival in Ganderbal is jailed separatist leader Sarjan Barkati.

Srigufwara - Bijbehara

An assembly segment under the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency, Srigufwara - Bijbehara elected People's Democratic Party founder Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, his daughter Mehbooba Mufti in the past. Now, Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija is in poll fray from this seat. She is pitted against National Conference's Bashir Veeri and Bharatiya Janata Party's Sofi Yousuf.

Nowshera

BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit president Ravinder Raina is contesting from Nowshera, which falls under Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha segment. He had won the seat in 2014, giving the BJP a victory from this seat that has largely voted for the Congress. He is facing al National Conference's Surinder Choudhary, whom he had defeated in the 2014 assembly elections by over 95,000 votes.

Pulwama

Waheed ur Rahman Parra, the PDP's youth wing president, is the party's candidate from Pulwama assembly constituency. He was arrested in 2020 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) after being grilled for alleged involvement with the Hizbul Mujahideen terror group. He was released from jail in May 2022.

Central Shalteng

J&K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra is the party's face from Central Shalteng, which falls under Srinagar Lok Sabha seat. the 69-year-old politician's closest rival is independent candidate Irfan Ahmad Shah, a former National Conference member.

Kupwara

People's Conference chief Sajad Lone is contesting from Kupwara seat. He is pitted against National Conference's Choudhary Ramzan, who previously won the seat in 2008.

The other key constituencies are:-

Budgam

Dooru

Kulgam

Zadibal

Kupwara

Handwara

Pattan

Surankot

Nagrota

RS Pura- Jammu

Kishtwar

Banihal

Sopore

Kulgam

Padder- Nagseni