J&K’s 10 MLAs whose fathers held ministerial positions

Srinagar, Oct 14: In the recent Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, ten newly elected MLAs come from political families where their fathers previously held ministerial positions.
A total of 873 candidates contested across 90 constituencies—47 in Kashmir and 43 in Jammu. The vote count, held on October 8, saw the National Conference (NC) emerge as the largest party with 42 seats, followed by the BJP with 29, Congress with 6, and JKPDP with 3. Smaller parties and independents secured the remaining seats.

Among the notable winners was NC’s Vice President Omar Abdullah, set to become the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory. Omar represents Budgam and Ganderbal, continuing the legacy of the Sheikh family, which has dominated J&K’s political landscape for decades. His father, Farooq Abdullah, was the Chief Minister twice, in 1984 and 1996.
Dr. Sajjad Shafi, representing Uri, is the son of veteran NC leader and former minister Mohammad Shafi.
Similarly, Mian Mehar Ali, who won from the Kangan constituency in Ganderbal, is the third generation of the Gujjar Mian family in politics. His father, Mian Altaf, was a minister and now MP.
Another significant victory came from Salman Sagar, elected from Hazratbal, following in the footsteps of his father, Ali Muhammad Sagar, NC’s general secretary and a former minister.
Hilal Akbar Lone, who won from Sonawari in Bandipora district, is the son of Akbar Lone, a former minister and Speaker of the J&K Legislative Assembly during the Omar Abdullah-led government from 2008-2014.
Bashir Ahmad Shah (Veeri), who defeated PDP leader Iltija Mufti in Srigufwara-Bijbehara, also hails from a political family. His father, Abdul Gani Shah, was a minister with NC.
Sakeena Masood Itoo, a senior NC leader and MLA, continues the political legacy of her father, Wali Mohammad Itoo, a former minister who was assassinated by militants in 1994.
Irshad Rasool Kar, elected from Sopore, is the son of late Ghulam Rasool Kar, a veteran Congress leader and former state Congress president. Irshad joined NC in 2021 before contesting this election.
Rafeeq Ahmad Naik, the newly elected legislator from Tral in Pulwama district, also belongs to a political family. His father, Ali Muhammad Naik, was a former NC leader, MP, and Speaker of the J&K Assembly.