First Woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday won the Anantnag Assembly by-poll by not only defeating her nearest rival Hilal Ahmad Shah of Congress by a margin of over 12,000 votes but also joined the hall of fame of political stalwarts of the state electoral politics by scripting historic victory.
Mehbooba Mufti scored impressive victory by recording over 62 percent votes of total votes polled in the by-polls. She even recorded better percentage of votes compared to her mentor and PDP Patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.
Mufti Sayeed had secured 16983 votes, roughly 33 per cent of total votes polled in 2014 from Anantnag Assembly segment.
She also improved her past track record of 2008 Assembly polls. Mehbooba had secured 37 per cent votes and her victory margin was little over 8000 votes from Wachi Assembly segment.
In the 2016 by-polls in the final tally of votes she romped home victoriously by getting 7701 votes. Mehbooba’s closest rival garnered 5616 votes, giving her a victory margin of 12085 votes.
In 2014 Assembly polls, Omar Abdullah had polled only 34 per cent votes of total votes polled in Beerwah Assembly segment.
Omar had barely managed to secure his seat by recording a victory margin of less than 1000 votes. Omar had lost Sonawar Assembly seat by a margin of 4783 votes. In 2008, Omar had secured 41 per cent votes from Ganderbal Assembly segment and his victory margin was 8215 votes over his rival Qazi Mohammed Afzal of PDP.
Mehbooba may have managed to perform better than her bete-noire Omar Abdullah in the electoral politics but fell short of touching the all time highest victory margin set by Ghulam Nabi Azad during 2006 by-polls in the State.
Azad had won by a huge victory margin of over 58,000 votes in April 2006 surpassing popularity charts of tallest leader of Kashmir Shiekh Mohammed Abdullah.
Interestingly, former Union Minister and three time Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah remains numero uno in electoral politics of the State.
According to the poll data of previous assembly election results, Dr Farooq Abdullah still tops charts in terms of recording maximum poll percentage among the present crop of chief ministers.
In 1983 Assembly polls, when Dr Abdullah fought elections for the first time he had polled maximum percentage of 95.80 votes from Ganderbal assembly segment surpassing his father’s track record of 88.17 percentage of votes during 1977 elections from the same constituency, traditionally hailed as pocket borough of National Conference. Farooq had polled 32331 out of 33745 votes polled.
Ghulam Nabi Azad had managed to beat the track record of Lion of Kashmir and crossed 90 per cent bench mark but marginally fell short of surpassing vote percentage of flamboyant former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah.
Azad had recorded 93.86 percentage of votes i.e 1.94 per cent less than Dr Farooq Abdullah. Azad polled 62072 votes out of 66129 in April 2006 by-polls.
Azad’s predecessor and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, who fought Assembly elections more than 18 months after becoming Chief Minister could not surpass Dr Farooq Abdullah’s poorest record of earning 70.24 percentage of votes in 1996 Assembly elections.
Mufti Mohammed Sayeed had recorded 65.10 percentage of votes in October 2004 assembly by-polls winning Pahalgam seat left vacant by his daughter Mehbooba Mufti.
The total voter turnout was less than 22 percent which in case of Chief Minister GhulamNabi Azad touched 72 percent.
Mufti had polled 9056 votes out of 13910 votes.The only respite came his way when he polled more votes than his daughter in October 2004 polls.
Comparing total voter turn out in the previous assembly elections, it becomes clear that here also Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad could not fair better than dynastic rulers. This record is still held by Sheikh family as it holds the highest record of registering 84.88 percentage of voting during 1983 assembly polls as 33745 voters had cast their votes out of 39769 voters.
In 1977 voter turn out was 84.48 percent in Shiekh Mohd Abdullahas constituency in Ganderbal. 29671 voters had exercise their franchise out of 35118 voters.
The percentage touched all time low 70.24 during 1996 elections as Dr Abdullah could muster support of 16440 voters out of 23403 votes polled.The voter turn out was also low ie 47.22 percent.
In 2002, President of National conference Omar Abdullah faired badly as his party touched nadir and he garnered mere 36.34 per cent vote share polling 8752 votes out of 24081 total votes polled.
