As early trends from the Jammu and Kashmir elections emerge, Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh, the Congress candidate for Langate, is facing tough competition from Irfan Sultan Pandithpuri of the People’s Conference. This election is significant for Sheikh, whose family has a notable political legacy in the region.
Langate was previously represented by Sheikh’s brother, Engineer Rashid, a Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla, who held the seat for two consecutive terms from 2008 to 2019. Sheikh, a government teacher, resigned in June to enter politics, shortly after his brother defeated prominent figures like former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
This move allowed Sheikh to follow his brother into the political arena. Rashid’s sons, especially his elder son Abrar, campaigned for Sheikh during the Lok Sabha elections but have not yet taken official political roles themselves.
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The competition in Langate is intense, with Sheikh up against not only Pandithpuri but also Syed Ghulam Nabi from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The National Conference-Congress alliance has put forward Ishfaq Ahmad for the seat, while Dr. Kaleemullah, son of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ghulam Qadir Lone, is running as an Independent candidate.
Historically, Langate has been a stronghold for the National Conference (NC), which won the constituency consistently from 1977 to 1996. The political landscape shifted in 1999 when PDP’s Panditpuri, having defected from the NC, secured the seat, while the NC’s Sharif-ud-din Shariq won it in 2002.
Rashid first won the assembly seat as an Independent in 2008 and successfully retained it in 2014, defeating PDP’s Ghulam Nabi Ganai by 2,505 votes.
Langate participated in the third phase of voting on October 1, alongside other areas in the union territory, including Samba and Sopore. As the counting begins, the political atmosphere is charged with anticipation, and candidates await the results.
Stay tuned for live updates on the Jammu and Kashmir elections as the situation unfolds.
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