High-Stakes Showdown: Political Titans Face Crucial Test in Second Phase of J&K Assembly Polls

Srinagar, Sep 23: The political future of four major party leaders – National Conference’s Omar Abdullah, J&K Congress chief Tariq Hamid Karra, BJP’s unit chief Ravindra Raina, and Apni Party’s Altaf Bukhari – hangs in the balance as they head into the critical second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections on September 25.
Omar Abdullah, the former J&K Chief Minister and vice president of the National Conference (NC), has dramatically re-entered the electoral fray, despite previously vowing not to contest until statehood was restored. Abdullah is contesting from two seats: Ganderbal, his family’s traditional stronghold, and Budgam, a “safe seat” in central Kashmir.

In Ganderbal, long known as the Abdullah dynasty’s political bastion, Omar faces fierce competition. His primary challengers include the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Bashir Ahmed Mir and former NC MLA Ishfaq Jabbar. Adding to the drama are two other contenders: jailed cleric Sarjan Barkati and Sheikh Ashiq, a candidate from Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP).
In Budgam, Omar is banking on the influential support of party MP Aga Ruhullah, a key Shia leader in the region. The decision to contest from this relatively safer constituency is seen as a strategic move in a political landscape marked by uncertainty.
Ravindra Raina, the firebrand chief of the BJP’s J&K unit, is seeking re-election from Nowshera in Rajouri district, a border constituency. Raina, who has been leading the party in the region since the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition government in 2018, is seen as a pivotal figure for the BJP. His tenure has coincided with the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, a momentous event in J&K’s political history. This election will serve as a referendum on his leadership during this tumultuous period.
For Tariq Hamid Karra, the Congress chief in J&K, the election is no less consequential. Contesting from Central Shalteng in Srinagar, Karra is backed by the NC but faces stiff opposition from his former colleague Noor Mohammad and NC rebel Irfan Shah. His ability to reclaim political relevance in the region will be tested as he battles these formidable rivals.
Finally, Altaf Bukhari, leader of the Apni Party, is contesting from the Chanapora seat in Srinagar. Bukhari, a former PDP stalwart, founded the Apni Party in 2020 alongside other ex-PDP members. However, his party has been criticized as a proxy for the BJP by its political adversaries, including the NC, PDP, and Congress. His performance in this election could either legitimize or undermine his political standing in the region.
With these high-profile leaders vying for control, the stakes in the second phase of the J&K Assembly polls are immense. The results will not only shape the political future of these individuals but also influence the broader trajectory of Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape in the post-Article 370 era.