Mehbooba Mufti: Facing The Toughest Battle On Home Turf Anantnag-Rajouri(imagefacebook.com/muftimehbooba)

The Anantnag-Rajouri of Jammu and Kashmir is a newly carved parliamentary constituency after 2022 delimitation. In the first election after the abrogation of Article 370, the constituency is witnessing a three-way contest with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, National Conference’s (NC) Mian Altaf, and Apni Party’s Zafar Manhas in the poll fray.

Reportedly, Mehbooba Mufti is facing the toughest electoral battle in her political journey spanning over three decades. Though the region once held the stature of a stronghold of Muftis and the PDP, the drastic fall in the influence of the party was observed after the collapse of the coalition government with the BJP in June 2018. Mufti”s popularity also waned when her party engaged in an alliance with the BJP in 2014. Besides, her handling of the 2016 agitation and subsequent unrest has also invited huge criticism.

Mehbooba Mufti represented Anantnag in the 14th Lok Sabha and the 16th Lok Sabha. She was the first female chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. In June 2018, she resigned from the post following the BJP”s withdrawal of support for the coalition government. To win back people”s support for the party”s  alliance with the BJP, Mufti is unleashing harsh criticism on the Centre”s abrogation of Article 370.

Though Anantnag was Mufti”s home turf, following delimitation, it now comprises large parts of Jammu’s Poonch and Rajouri districts. Both districts—Poonch and Rajouri—maintain large populations of Gujjars, Bakerwals, and Paharis. Corresponding vote banks led parties to revise their strategies. The NC’s Altaf is a Gujjar leader holding influence in Poonch and Rajouri districts, while the Apni Party’s Manhas is a Pahari leader.