Omar Abdullah, vice president of the National Conference (NC), and Mehbooba Mufti, chief of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), acknowledged their losses in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, even as vote counting continued in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the Election Commission (EC) data for the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, jailed former MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as ‘Engineer Rashid,’ was leading Abdullah by a margin of over 1.25 lakh votes.
"I think it’s time to accept the inevitable. Congratulations to Engineer Rashid for his victory in North Kashmir," Abdullah posted on X at 1:37 pm, acknowledging the voters' decision.
"I don’t believe his victory will hasten his release from prison nor will the people of North Kashmir get the representation they have a right to, but the voters have spoken and in a democracy that’s all that matters," he added.
Similarly, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti conceded defeat from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat.
"Respecting the verdict of the people, I thank my PDP workers and leaders for their hard work and support despite all the odds. My deepest gratitude to the people who voted for me,” Mufti posted on X.
“Winning and losing is part of the game and won’t deter us from our path," Mufti posted on X at 1:58 pm.
The latest EC figures showed NC Gujjar leader Mian Altaf leading from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat by over 2.29 lakh votes.
Abdullah also congratulated his party colleagues Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and Mian Altaf, who are leading by significant margins from the Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seats, respectively.
"To my @JKNC_ colleagues @RuhullahMehdi & Mian Altaf Sb, my heartfelt congratulations. I’m sorry I won’t be joining them in the Lok Sabha, but I’m sure both of them will do an amazing job representing the people of J&K," Abdullah said in his post.
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