Chief Minister Omar Abdullah failed to resurrect declining graph of the NC across Jammu region during his six-year-long term in office.
On Tuesday, when election results were declared, the National Conference ended up winning only three seats from Jammu region, three less than its previous tally of six seats in 2008. While struggling to retain his bastion in Kashmir valley, Omar could not focus much on Jammu and also failed to motivate the party cadre to retain their seats. Party vice-president and former Industry Minister Surjit Singh Slathia failed to retain his seat from Vijaypur Assembly. NC’s Planning Minister Ajay Sadhotra was also defeated by BJP candidate Sukhnandan Choudhary from Marh Assembly. MoS Home Sajjad Kitchloo also lost the Kishtwar Assembly from BJP’s Sunil Sharma.
NC lost both the seats it had won from Rajouri district. Nowshera and Kalakote seats were won by the BJP. In all these places, Omar had campaigned but could not attract voters in support of party candidates. The NC, however, won two seats from Jammu district while one remaining seat was won by the NC leader Javed Ahmed Rana from Mendhar in Poonch. Party’s provincial president DS Rana defeated BJP’s Nand Kishore Sharma from Nagrota while Kamal Verma from Bishnah defeated two time sitting legislator Ashwani Sharma.