A bastion of the Mufti’s, Bijbehara in Anantnag is gearing up for a tough fight between Iltija Mufti, 36, of the People’s Democratic Party and the National Conference’s Dr. Bashir Ahmed Veeri.
Bijbehara has always been a bastion and has watched close contests for dominance between the Mufti and the Shah family. Abdul Gani Veeri, father of Dr. Bashir Veeri, a close associate of Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, has won three elections from Bijbehara Anantnag; 1977, 83, and 1987. The Mufti family and the People’s Democratic Party have held their dominance on the seat since 1996 when Mehbooba Mufti won elections from Bijbehara, her hometown.
Bijbehara-Srigufwara is set to vote in the first phase of the assembly elections on September 18, and the campaign has left political experts in Kashmir valley divided.
According to Muntazir, a political analyst, the electoral contest in Bijbehara is poised to be highly competitive. He notes, “The historical dominance of the Mufti family in Bijbehara is being tested this time. While the PDP has traditionally enjoyed strong support, the rising discontent and the NC’s aggressive campaigning could alter the dynamics. Dr. Bashir Ahmed Veeri’s impressive rally in Sirhama demonstrates his growing appeal, but Iltija Mufti’s ability to mobilize a massive crowd indicates that the PDP’s grassroots connections remain formidable.”
On September 1, National Conference candidate Dr. Bashir Ahmed Veeri held a massive rally in the Sirhama area, leading many to believe the seat was secured for his party. However, the very next day, Iltija Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party attracted an even larger crowd, reigniting uncertainty about the outcome.
Muntazir adds, “The shifting political landscape in Kashmir, combined with the distinct legacies of the Mufti and Veeri families, makes this election a crucial one for both parties. The outcome will not only reflect the current political sentiment in Bijbehara but could also signal broader trends across the valley. Voter turnout and campaign effectiveness will be key in determining whether the PDP can retain its hold or if the NC can capitalize on the prevailing sentiments to secure a victory.”
The Srigufwara–Bijbehara Assembly Constituency (AC 45) has a total of 102,081 voters, including 50,728 males and 51,353 females. The constituency features 125 polling stations, with 16 located in urban areas and 109 in rural regions.
Bijbehara history
In the 1977 elections, Abdul Gani Shah of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference secured 16,059 votes, accounting for 63.9% of the vote share. Ali Mohd. Majid of the Janta Party received 984 votes, or 3.9%, while Mufti Mohammed Sayeed of the Indian National Congress garnered 8,081 votes, representing 32.2% of the total votes.
In 1983, Abdul Gani Shah continued his dominance over the region securing 53.9% of the vote share. Shah’s significant lead was evident as he surpassed his closest competitor, Mufti Mohammed Sayed of the Indian National Congress, who garnered 44.3% of the votes. Ghulam Nabi Mir of the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Conference received a modest 1.4%, while Independent candidate Khurshid Ahmad secured 0.4%.National Conference narrowly won with 47.7 per cent of the votes, edging out Independent candidate Mohammed Sultan, who secured 47.4 per cent in 1987. The close contest highlights a tight race between the two leading candidates. Ghulam Mohammed Loan, also running as an Independent, received 4.5% of the vote, while Nazir Ahmed, another Independent candidate, garnered 0.4 per cent.
Nine years after the infamous rigging of elections in 1987, the political dynamics of the seat had changed forever. The BJP also contested the elections. Mehbooba Mufti of the Indian National Congress emerged victorious with 45.3% of the vote. Abdul Gani Shah of the Jammu Kashmir National Conference secured second place with 35.1%. Mohammed Yusuf of the Panthers Party received 6.3%, while Mohammed Abdullah Nadaf of Janata Dal garnered 5.4%. Other candidates included Srinath of Jammu and Kashmir Awami League with 4.4%, Vidya Sagar of Bharatiya Janata Party with 3.0%, and Dwarka Nath Raina of All India Indira Congress (TIWARI) with 0.6%.
In the 2002, PDP had been formed and Abdul Rehman Bhat (Veeri) of the Peoples Democratic Party secured 5,961 votes, or 58.3 per cent of the vote share. Haji Abdul Gani Shah of the Jammu Kashmir National Conference received 2,084 votes, representing 20.4 per cent.
The competition between the Jammu Kashmir National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was intense even in 2008. Abdul Rehman Bhat (Veeri) of the PDP secured 23,320 votes, or 49.9% of the vote share, while Bashir Ahmad Shah (Veeri) of the NC garnered 13,046 votes, representing 27.9%.
The last time the two fought an open contest was 2014, when Abdul Rehman Bhat of the PDP received 23,581 votes (48.8%), and Bashir Ahmad Shah of the NC garnered 20,713 votes (42.9%). While the PDP maintained a strong position, their vote share decreased slightly by 1.1 percentage points from 2008 to 2014. Conversely, the NC saw a significant increase in vote share, rising by 15 percentage points, reflecting a notable shift in voter support towards the NC during this period.
The Political play
The seat was a comfortable victory for the PDP, however, Dr. Veeri’s, who has lost elections twice against PDP’s Abdul Rehman Veeri, has strengthened his base in the Bijbehara assembly segment. “In recent years, the National Conference, led by Bashir Veeri, has been actively engaging with the public, especially after the abrogation of Article 370, which has given him a slight advantage. However, the strong connection people have with Mufti Mohammed Sayeed remains significant and cannot be easily dismissed, particularly in comparison to the BJP,” said Kounsar, a political expert from the Bijbehara town.
He said that one cannot ignore the fact that Iltija Mufti has been reconnecting with the old friends and associates of the late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, reigniting the long-standing bond the residents share with the Mufti family. This was evident in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where despite losing the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency, the PDP secured more votes in the Bijbehara-Srigufwara segment, with 20,792 votes compared to the National Conference’s 17,698.
Entering politics in the wake of her mother’s detention in August 2019, shortly before the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, Iltija is making her electoral debut. She is contesting this seat for the first time, succeeding Abdul Rehman Veeri, who represented the constituency from 1999 to 2014.
One of the key advantages for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over the years has been the voter boycott calls and the support it received from Jamaat-e-Islami, which maintains a strong presence in areas like Arwani and Dachnipora. “This time, it’s unclear where the Jamaat vote will go, as they have entered the electoral race themselves, though they haven’t fielded a candidate from this constituency,” said Kounsar.
Although the PDP’s roots run deep in the constituency, Veeri’s supporters remain optimistic for a different outcome this time, pointing to growing anti-incumbency sentiment against the PDP. Throughout his campaign, Dr. Bashir Veeri has frequently highlighted the PDP’s past coalition with the BJP. “In 2014, a strong PDP wave secured their victory easily, but this time, people will remember the betrayal of joining hands with the BJP and cast their votes accordingly,” he said.
PDP’s Tassaduq Hussain Bhat son of Abdul Rehman Bhat was also the DDC member from the Bijbehara seat, which speaks of PDP’s dominance over the region, however, the removal of Bhat from Bijbehara may cost the party.
On the other, BJP has fielded Sofi Yousuf for the Srigufwara-Bijbehara Assembly Constituency.
Before entering politics, Yousuf was a policeman who survived two militant attacks. He admires both Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Yousuf has contested Assembly elections in 1996, 2008 and Lok Sabha polls in 2004, 2009, and 2014, all on BJP tickets, but did not secure a win.
In 2015, with the formation of the PDP-BJP government, Yousuf was elected to the Upper House of the J-K Legislative Assembly, becoming the first BJP legislator from Kashmir. A veteran BJP member in Kashmir, Yousuf believes that “development is the solution” to the Kashmir issue.
Although the BJP has fielded Sufi Yusuf as its candidate, the main contest is expected to be between the NC and PDP. “BJP has an edge in Jammu, nobody can deny that, but in Kashmir they are not cannot even compete,” says Mir Muntazir, a political expert from Anantnag.
“With Iltija Mufti debuting as the PDP candidate and Dr. Bashir Ahmed Veeri representing the NC, this contest is emblematic of the broader realignments and sentiments shaping the region. The PDP’s historical grip on the constituency faces a new challenge from the NC, whose campaign has been buoyed by recent political developments, few of the many factors that give edge to the NC is that Dr. Bashir’s brother Tariq who had joined Apni party has joined the NC recently. He is a strong face too and his put all his political weight behind his brother,” said Muntazir.
As voters prepare to head to the polls on September 18, this election not only reflects the dynamics within Bijbehara but also underscores the evolving political landscape of Kashmir, where past allegiances and new political realities intersect in a critical juncture for the region’s future.