2008 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election Last updated May 29, 2025 Background Elections for the Jammu and Kashmir state Assembly were due in 2008, following the end of the term of the Assembly elected in 2002. However, the PDP withdrew from the INC-led state government in protest at the Amarnath land transfer decision . The INC government resigned in July 2008 and the state was brought under the direct rule of the central government pending the elections. [ 1]
Boycott The main Kashmiri separatist group, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference called on Kashmiris to boycott the elections, saying the elections were a "futile exercise " that would never "fulfill the aspirations of the people ". [ 2]
Despite these boycott calls, NC leaders claimed that activists from Jamaat-e-Islami had come out and voted for the PDP. [ 3]
There were scattered separatist protests throughout the elections, including hundreds who protested in Srinagar . Police prevented these protestors from marching to the center of the city which led to protestors throwing stones at the police who fired tear gas and used baton charges . [ 4]
Security Indian election officials voiced major concerns about the security of the elections given the calls for a boycott and protest from separatist leaders and the recent violence over the Amarnath land transfer controversy . Voting was staggered so that security forces could maintain control. Thousands of security forces were deployed during the voting. In Srinagar , security forces were posted at junctions, patrolled the streets, and guarded polling stations. An unofficial curfew was enforced, gatherings of more than five people banned and neighborhoods were sealed off with steel barricades and razor wire. [ 4]
Police also arrested three men they accused of being Jaish-e-Mohammed members planning suicide attacks in Jammu . [ 5] One of those arrested was a soldier in the Army of Pakistan , who Pakistan said had deserted in 2006. [ 4] However following the polls the NC leader, Farooq Abdullah , thanked the Pakistan government for their "non-interference " with the polls. [ 6]
Results The seven stages of the elections were held as follows:
Voting stages Date Seats Turnout Monday 17 November 10 69.02% Sunday 23 November 6 68.29% Sunday 30 November 5 68.22% Sunday 7 December 18 59.24% Saturday 13 December 11 58.5% Wednesday 17 December 16 65.93% Wednesday 24 December 21 52.0% Total 87 60.5% Source: [ 7] [ 8]
Turnout rose by 17%, despite calls from Kashmiri separatists and Pakistan for Kashmiris to boycott the election. [ 8] [ 9] INC head Sonia Gandhi described the polls as "a triumph of Indian democracy ".
Separatist supporters were said to have backed the PDP. [ 9] The BJP's increase in support was said to be due to polarisation arising from the Amarnath land transfer controversy , which led it to increase its seat tally from 1 to 11 seats. [ 10]
1,354 candidates stood for election including 517 independents and nominees from 43 political parties. [ 11]
Elected Members Results by constituency Winner, runner-up, voter turnout, and victory margin in every constituency [ 12] Assembly Constituency Turnout Winner Runner Up Margin #k Names % Candidate Party Votes % Candidate Party Votes % 1 Karnah 79.65% Kafil-ur-Rehman JKNC 4,110 19.15% Abdul Rehman Bhadana JKANC 2,962 13.8% 1,148 2 Kupwara 62.43% Saifullah Mir JKNC 16,696 30.07% Fayaz Ahmad Mir JKPDP 11,514 20.74% 5,182 3 Lolab 68.15% Abdul Haq Khan JKPDP 23,337 40.67% Qaysar Jamshaid Lone JKNC 17,990 31.35% 5,347 4 Handwara 75.58% Chowdary Mohammed Ramzan JKNC 27,907 48.38% Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Sofi Independent 16,317 28.29% 11,590 5 Langate 61.33% Sheikh Abdul Rashid Independent 7,964 21.86% Mohammed Sultan Pandithpori JKPDP 7,754 21.29% 210 6 Uri 81.73% Taj Mohiuddin INC 24,036 44.54% Mohammad Shafi JKNC 22,157 41.06% 1,879 7 Rafiabad 51.86% Javid Ahmad Dar JKNC 13,198 35.89% Mohammad Dilawar Mir JKPDP 12,982 35.3% 216 8 Sopore 19.96% Mohammed Ashraf Ganie JKNC 4,368 24.24% Abdul Rashid Dar INC 3,304 18.34% 1,064 9 Gurez 74.02% Nazir Ahmad Khan JKNC 5,817 51.06% Faqeer Ahmad Khan INC 5,085 44.64% 732 10 Bandipora 57.08% Nizam Uddin Bhat JKPDP 13,051 26.1% Usman Abdul Majid Independent 12,231 24.46% 820 11 Sonawari 59.95% Mohammad Akbar Lone JKNC 20,108 39.74% Abid Hussain Ansari Independent 7,951 15.71% 12,157 12 Sangrama 46.61% Syed Basharat Ahmad JKPDP 7,812 28.09% Shoaib Nabi Lone Independent 6,482 23.31% 1,330 13 Baramulla 33.31% Muzaffar Hussain Baig JKPDP 13,019 53.46% Nazir Hussain Khan JKNC 7,621 31.29% 5,398 14 Gulmarg 59.8% Ghulam Hassan Mir Jammu & Kashmir Democratic Party Nationalist 18,253 36.81% Sheikh Mustafa Kamal JKNC 11,812 23.82% 6,441 15 Pattan 50.84% Iftikhar Hussain Ansari JKPDP 20,703 51.14% Abdul Rashid Shaheen JKNC 9,432 23.3% 11,271 16 Kangan 59.53% Mian Altaf Ahmed Larvi JKNC 19,210 54.98% Mian Bashir Ahmed JKPDP 11,495 32.9% 7,715 17 Ganderbal 51.73% Omar Abdullah JKNC 16,519 41.49% Qazi Mohammad Afzal JKPDP 8,304 20.85% 8,215 18 Hazratbal 28.91% Farooq Abdullah JKNC 11,041 44.66% Asiea JKPDP 6,769 27.38% 4,272 19 Zadibal 17.3% Peer Aafaq Ahmed JKNC 4,335 34.89% Shahi Jahan Dar JKPDP 3,094 24.9% 1,241 20 Eidgah 22.07% Mubarak Ahmed Gul JKNC 4,457 35.97% Asifa Tariq Qara JKPDP 2,778 22.42% 1,679 21 Khanyar 17.41% Ali Mohammad Sagar JKNC 6,314 74.16% Showkat Ahmad Hafiz JKPDP 806 9.47% 5,508 22 Habba Kadal 11.62% Shamim Firdous JKNC 2,374 41.14% Hira Lal Chatta BJP 672 11.65% 1,702 23 Amira Kadal 14.96% Nasir Aslam Wani JKNC 3,912 34.75% Parvaiz Ahmed Bhat JKPDP 3,103 27.56% 809 24 Sonawar 36.66% Farooq Abdullah JKNC 7,018 28.23% Sheikh Ghulam Qadir Pardesi JKPDP 6,924 27.86% 94 25 Batmaloo 19.96% Mohammed Irfan Shah JKNC 9,447 44.83% Tariq Hameed Karra JKPDP 6,738 31.97% 2,709 26 Chadoora 53.79% Javaid Mustafa Mir JKPDP 16,278 41.36% Ali Mohammad Dar JKNC 13,338 33.89% 2,940 27 Budgam 55.17% Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi JKNC 19,652 40.15% Mohammed Kamal Malik JKPDP 9,692 19.8% 9,960 28 Beerwah 57.18% Shafi Ahmad Wani JKPDP 11,720 24.42% Abdul Majid Matoo JKNC 11,556 24.08% 164 29 Khan Sahib 74.73% Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen Shah People's Democratic Front (Jammu and Kashmir) 22,616 41.94% Saif Ud Din Bhat JKPDP 14,221 26.37% 8,395 30 Charari Sharief 74.58% Abdul Rahim Rather JKNC 24,579 48.3% Ghulam Nabi Lone JKPDP 18,204 35.78% 6,375 31 Tral 48.69% Mushtaq Ahmad Shah JKPDP 10,393 28.47% Mohammed Ashraf Bhat JKNC 6,586 18.04% 3,807 32 Pampore 43.43% Zahoor Ahmad Mir JKPDP 11,117 36.84% Mohammed Anwar Bhat INC 5,969 19.78% 5,148 33 Pulwama 40.84% Mohammad Khalil Bandh JKPDP 10,639 36.45% Sonaullah Dar Independent 4,003 13.71% 6,636 34 Rajpora 50.61% Syed Bashir Ahmad Shah JKPDP 10,177 25.12% Ghulam Mohi Uddin Mir Independent 9,230 22.79% 947 35 Wachi 48.55% Mehbooba Mufti JKPDP 12,810 37.96% Showkat Hussain Ganie JKNC 4,474 13.26% 8,336 36 Shopian 52.72% Abdul Razaq Wagay JKPDP 8,006 21.23% Mohammed Shafi INC 5,208 13.81% 2,798 37 Noorabad 74.1% Sakeena Akhtar JKNC 16,240 35.23% Abdul Aziz Zargar JKPDP 11,722 25.43% 4,518 38 Kulgam 61.61% Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami CPI(M) 17,175 34.24% Nazir Ahmad Laway JKPDP 16,939 33.77% 236 39 Hom Shali Bugh 54.36% Abdul Gafar Sofi JKPDP 12,249 33.74% Abdul Majeed JKNC 7,439 20.49% 4,810 40 Anantnag 41.22% Mufti Mohammad Sayeed JKPDP 12,439 39.49% Mirza Mehboob Beigh JKNC 7,548 23.96% 4,891 41 Devsar 68.36% Mohammed Sartaj Madni JKPDP 14,175 26.79% Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad JKNC 10,174 19.23% 4,001 42 Dooru 69.83% Ghulam Ahmad Mir INC 15,870 36.19% Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi JKPDP 9,952 22.69% 5,918 43 Kokernag 70.35% Peerzada Mohammad Syed INC 13,384 26.75% Ghulam Nabi Bhat JKNC 12,114 24.21% 1,270 44 Shangus–Anantnag East 69.29% Peerzada Mansoor Hussain JKPDP 13,853 27.99% Gulzar Ahmad Wani INC 12,423 25.1% 1,430 45 Srigufwara–Bijbehara 60.75% Abdul Rehman Bhat JKPDP 23,320 49.88% Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri JKNC 13,046 27.9% 10,274 46 Pahalgam 70.25% Rafi Ahmad Mir JKPDP 24,316 49.29% Altaf Ahmad Wani JKNC 13,394 27.15% 10,922 47 Nubra 71.26% Tsetan Namgyal Independent 4,608 53.48% Tsewang Rigzin INC 3,678 42.68% 930 48 Leh 61.05% Nawang Rigzin INC 19,008 50.5% Thupstan Chhewang Independent 17,485 46.45% 1,523 49 Kargil 75.05% Qamar Ali Akhoon JKNC 22,935 53.64% Haji Nissar Ali Independent 17,635 41.24% 5,300 50 Zanskar 72.2% Feroz Ahmed Khan JKNC 6,552 44.72% Ghulam Raza INC 5,634 38.45% 918 51 Kishtwar 74.46% Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo JKNC 19,248 37.48% Sunil Kumar Sharma BJP 16,783 32.68% 2,465 52 Inderwal 72.81% Ghulam Mohammad Saroori INC 22,684 42.67% Shakti Raj BJP 12,269 23.08% 10,415 53 Doda 73.05% Abdul Majid Wani INC 23,254 44.55% Khalid Najib Suharwardy JKNC 16,102 30.85% 7,152 54 Bhaderwah 65.29% Ghulam Nabi Azad INC 38,238 62.86% Daya Krishan BJP 8,802 14.47% 29,436 55 Ramban 65.59% Ashok Kumar INC 21,779 43.47% Bali Bhagat BJP 11,460 22.88% 10,319 56 Banihal 67.94% Vikar Rasool Wani INC 8,287 17.38% Showket Javeed Daing Independent 5,254 11.02% 3,033 57 Gulabgarh 77.66% Abdul Ghani Malik JKNC 14,268 31.28% Haji Mumtaz Ahmad Khan Independent 11,020 24.16% 3,248 58 Reasi 73.61% Baldev Raj BJP 26,031 37.01% Jugal Kishore INC 19,369 27.54% 6,662 59 Gool Arnas 76.7% Ajaz Ahmed Khan INC 15,594 37.05% Ghulam Qadir Mughal JKNC 12,142 28.85% 3,452 60 Udhampur 68.64% Balwant Singh Mankotia JKNPP 25,259 35.49% Pawan Kumar Gupta BJP 22,494 31.61% 2,765 61 Chenani 57.37% Krishan Chander INC 16,276 35.47% Dina Nath Bhagat BJP 9,838 21.44% 6,438 62 Ramnagar 64.54% Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP 30,609 47.18% Vinod Khajuria BSP 18,463 28.46% 12,146 63 Bani 76.09% Lal Chand BJP 11,041 39.57% Ghulam Haider Malik JKNC 8,792 31.51% 2,249 64 Basohli 69.8% Jagdish Raj Sapolia BJP 16,651 35.25% Davinder Singh JKNC 13,770 29.15% 2,881 65 Kathua 72.98% Charanjit Singh Independent 19,123 25.82% Som Raj Majotra BSP 16,761 22.63% 2,362 66 Billawar 70.9% Manohar Lal Sharma INC 22,262 35.78% Satish Kumar Sharma BJP 13,879 22.31% 8,383 67 Hiranagar 66.03% Durga Dass BJP 19,730 30.5% Prem Lal Independent 16,993 26.27% 2,737 68 Samba 72.52% Yash Paul Kundal JKNPP 14,631 27.15% Satwant Kour BJP 12,642 23.45% 1,989 69 Vijaypur 80.27% Surjeet Singh Slathia JKNC 21,090 27.21% Chader Prakash Sharma BJP 19,878 25.64% 1,212 70 Nagrota 79.33% Jugal Kishore Sharma BJP 11,141 22.76% M. K. Ajat Shatru JKNC 9,521 19.45% 1,620 71 Gandhinagar 64.15% Raman Bhalla INC 33,486 36.34% Nirmal Singh BJP 31,223 33.89% 2,263 72 Jammu East 60.71% Ashok Kumar Khajuria BJP 15,907 50.72% Narender Singh INC 5,474 17.45% 10,433 73 Jammu West 60.85% Chaman Lal Gupta BJP 34,288 40.26% Surinder Singh Shangari Independent 21,251 24.95% 13,037 74 Bishnah 75.77% Ashwani Kumar Sharma Independent 14,078 22.46% Kamal Verma BSP 13,589 21.68% 489 75 Ranbir Singh Pora–Jammu South 76.56% Gharu Ram Bhagat BJP 15,902 28.95% Suman Lata Bhagat INC 14,272 25.98% 1,630 76 Suchetgarh 79.8% Sham Lal Choudhary BJP 17,995 39.39% Taranjeet Singh JKNC 10,403 22.77% 7,592 77 Marh 81.97% Sukh Nandan Kumar BJP 18,368 35.04% Ajay Sadhotra JKNC 11,787 22.49% 6,581 78 Raipur Domana 70.55% Bharat Bhushan BJP 28,685 47.78% Mulla Ram INC 16,416 27.34% 12,269 79 Akhnoor 79.68% Sham Lal Sharma INC 31,600 47.97% Govind Ram Sharma BJP 17,716 26.89% 13,884 80 Chhamb 78.35% Tara Chand INC 25,335 48.59% Chaman Lal BJP 22,940 44.% 2,395 81 Nowshera 73.07% Radhay Sham Sharma JKNC 16,511 26.47% Romesh Chander Sharma INC 12,691 20.35% 3,820 82 Darhal 77.37% Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali JKPDP 19,399 28.55% Mohammed Iqbal Malik Independent 14,858 21.87% 4,541 83 Rajouri 70.12% Shabir Ahmed Khan INC 10,013 13.63% Tasadiq Hussain JKPDP 9,680 13.18% 333 84 Kalakote 73.32% Rachhpal Singh JKNC 25,314 45.62% Ashok Kumar Sharma Independent 13,894 25.04% 11,420 85 Surankote 74.92% Aslam Chowdhary Mohammad INC 28,102 44.22% Mushtaq Ahmed Shah Bukhari JKNC 26,051 40.99% 2,051 86 Mendhar 77.85% Sardar Rafiq Hussain Khan JKPDP 29,036 47.63% Javed Ahmed Rana JKNC 28,294 46.42% 742 87 Poonch Haveli 74.37% Ajaz Ahmed Jan JKNC 28,297 39.62% Chaudhary Bashir Ahmed Naaz INC 18,364 25.71% 9,933
Former National Conference Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah , said he did not want to return as it "required the energy of a younger man ", and nominated his son, Omar Abdullah , and the head of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference instead. [ 13]
Congress debated forming a coalition with either Conference or the PDP. It was reported that the PDP had offered to support a Congress candidate for Chief Minister if they joined with them. However, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi were reported to favor the largest party to "honor the mandate " of the election. [ 14]
On 30 December Congress and the National Conference agreed to form a coalition government, with Omar Abdullah as Chief Minister. [ 15]
References ↑ Amarnath row divides Jammu and Kashmir Archived 2008-08-10 at the Wayback Machine ↑ APHC to boycott Kashmir elections later this year [ permanent dead link ] ↑ Despite boycott call, Jamaat cadres come out in support of PDP Indian Express, 23 December 2008 1 2 3 Voting ends in Indian Kashmir amid heavy security International Herald Tribune, 24 December 2008 ↑ Clashes mark final Kashmir poll BBC News, 24 December 2008 ↑ Pakistan conundrum hangs over Kashmir poll success The Hindu, 30 December 2008 ↑ "7-phase poll in J&K from November 17" . Rediff. 19 October 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2018 . 1 2 Low voter turnout in final phase , Rediff India , 2008-12-24 1 2 Abdullahs back in J&K Times of India, 29 December 2009 ↑ BJP fields more Muslim candidates in J&K to shrug off communal tag ↑ 35 political parties failed to win a seat in J&K polls Rediff India, 29 December 2008 ↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 2008 to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir" (PDF) . Election Commission of India . Archived from the original (pdf) on 25 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024 . ↑ Kashmiri parties in coalition bid BBC News, 29 December 2008 ↑ Cong dilemma: young Omar or PDP Calcutta Telegraph, 29 December 2008 ↑ Pro-India parties to take power in Indian Kashmir International Herald Tribune, 30 December 2008
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