Many key candidates and bigwigs, including two former deputy chief ministers and ex-ministers, lost the maiden assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, as the National Conference emerged the single largest party with 42 seats.
Former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig was among the 24 candidates in Baramulla constituency whose deposits were forfeited.
The seat was won by his nephew Javid Hussain Baig who polled 22,523 votes, while Muzaffar Baig, a former MP as well, stood at a distant third by securing just 5,872 votes.
Another former deputy chief minister Tara Chand, Congress candidate from Chhamb seat in Jammu region, lost to independent candidate Satish Sharma. Chand stood at the third place.
Among the prominent names who lost the polls are former minister and ex-JKPCC president Vaqar Rasool, J-K BJP president Ravinder Raina, former minister and JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla, and former ministers Abdul Rehman Veeri, Altaf Bukhari, Usman Majid, Chowdhary Lal Singh, Manohar Lal Sharma, Chowdhary Zulfiqar Ali, Harsh Dev Singh, Ghulam Nabi Lone, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, and Asiea Naqash.
Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, Sajad Kichloo, Nasir Aslam Wani, Imran Ansari, Mula Ram, Zahoor Mir, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Taj Mohiuddin, Syed Basharat Bukhari, and Abdul Gaffar Sofi are the other former ministers who lost the election.
PDP leaders and former MLAs Mohammad Sartaj Madni and Mehboob Beg, Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti, Hurriyat leader's son Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, and Awami Ittehad Party candidate from Tral, Harbaksh Singh were the other key candidates who could not win the polls.
Separatist-turned-mainstream politician Sajad Lone won from Handwara, but lost from Kupwara.
BJP candidates Aijaz Ahmad from Lal Chowk and Faqeer Mohammad Khan from Gurez (ST) -- for whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh campaigned, respectively, also lost the polls.
Congress leader and former MLA Abdul Rashid Dar, for whom Rahul Gandhi campaigned, also lost from Sopore.
