In a historic achievement for women in Jammu and Kashmir, three female candidates have emerged victorious in the recently concluded Assembly elections, marking their entry into the male-dominated legislative body. Among them are Sakeena Masood, a former Minister from the National Conference (NC), and Shagun Parihar, the lone female candidate from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who won the Kishtwar Assembly seat.
This election sees a notable increase in female representation compared to 2014, when only two women were elected to the Assembly. In 2008, three women, including former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, were elected.
Shagun Parihar, aged 29, claimed victory in the Kishtwar Assembly seat by narrowly defeating veteran National Conference leader and former Minister Sajad Ahmed Kitchloo. Parihar secured 29,053 votes, surpassing Kitchloo by a margin of 521 votes. Kitchloo, who had previously won the seat in 2002 and 2008, managed 28,532 votes. The PDP’s candidate, Firdos Ahmed Tak, received only 997 votes, forfeiting his deposit.
In her victory speech, Parihar expressed deep gratitude towards the people of Kishtwar, stating: “I bow before the people of Kishtwar for their faith in me and my party. Their support is deeply appreciated. I am humbled by their endorsement.” She emphasized that her victory is not just hers but belongs to the nationalist people of Jammu and Kashmir, calling it “their blessing.”
In addition to Parihar’s triumph, Sakeena Masood, representing the National Conference, won the D H Pora Assembly seat in the Kulgam district. Masood garnered 36,623 votes, defeating Gulzar Ahmed Dar by a margin of 17,449 votes. Dar polled 19,174 votes, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI) website. Sakeena Masood has a legacy in the region, having won the same seat, formerly known as Noorabad, in both 1996 and 2008. Her father, Wali Mohammad Itoo, was a four-time representative of this seat.
Another notable victory came from Shamim Firdous, also from the National Conference, who won the Habbakadal constituency in Srinagar. Firdous defeated BJP’s Ashok Kumar Bhat by a margin of 9,538 votes, securing 12,437 votes in total. The National Conference has traditionally held this seat, winning it six times since 1977, with Shamim Firdous having represented the constituency following victories in 2008 and 2014.
Despite these successes, there were notable losses. Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, lost the Surgufwara-Bijbehara seat to National Conference’s Bashir Ahmad Veeri. Iltija, who polled 23,529 votes, was defeated by a margin of 9,770 votes as Veeri secured 33,299 votes. Additionally, former PDP Minister Asiea Naqash lost the Hazratbal seat.
Overall, 41 women candidates contested the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, a significant increase from the 24 women in the fray in 2014. However, only three women were elected this time around. In 2008, there were 67 women candidates, of which three were successful, including Mehbooba Mufti.
