Srinagar: In a significant comeback, the National Conference and Congress alliance has secured victory in the Jammu and Kashmir polls, according to the Election Commission's official website.
As the vote counting concluded, the Election Commission declared the total number of seats won by each party. The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) emerged as the largest party with 42 seats, followed by the BJP with 29 seats and Congress with 6 seats.
Notably, seven independent candidates have won from their respective constituencies.
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's PDP secured 3 seats, while Sajad Gani Lone's JKPC won 1 seat. In a notable victory, the Aam Aadmi Party won one assembly seat in Doda. The CPI(M) also won a seat.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made its electoral debut in Jammu and Kashmir by winning the Doda assembly constituency, with AAP candidate Mehraj Malik defeating the BJP's Gajay Singh Rana.
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Interestingly, the BJP secured a remarkable vote share of 25.64%, followed by the National Conference with 23.43%, and Congress with 11.97%.
With these results, the National Conference-Congress alliance is set to form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Omar Abdullah, also a former Chief Minister, will assume the role of Chief Minister, as confirmed by Farooq Abdullah.
Shortly after the alliance crossed the halfway mark, National Conference chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah announced that his son, Omar Abdullah, would be the next Chief Minister of the Union Territory.
"The people have given their mandate; they have shown they reject the decision taken on August 5... Omar Abdullah will be the Chief Minister," the senior Abdullah told reporters, as Election Commission results indicated that the National Conference-Congress alliance was likely to cross the majority mark in the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
Also Read: Omar Abdullah will be CM, says Farooq Abdullah ahead of J-K results announced
Speaking to reporters, Farooq Abdullah added, "We aim to address issues like unemployment and inflation. I am grateful to everyone who cast their votes. Omar Abdullah will be the Chief Minister."
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah dismissed exit polls as a "waste of time" and stated that those who believe in them deserve to be ridiculed.
"If you pay for exit polls or waste time discussing them, you deserve all the jokes, memes, and ridicule. There was a reason I called them a waste of time a few days ago," Omar Abdullah wrote in a post on X, as the National Conference-Congress alliance crossed the halfway mark.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Jitendra Singh commended the BJP for what he described as the party's best performance so far in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.
The Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held on September 18, September 25, and October 1.
—ANI