||Black and White Digital News||

||Tejveer Singh 01,September ||

Srinagar : As the electoral landscape of Jammu and Kashmir witnesses its first Assembly polls since the 2019 revocation of Article 370, all eyes are on the Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. A legacy seat for the Mufti family since 1996, the fate of this PDP bastion now rests in the hands of Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who has stepped into the political ring to defend her family’s stronghold.

The upcoming polls, set for September 18, will mark a defining moment for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which has dominated this constituency for decades. The Srigufwara-Bijbehara seat, earlier known simply as Bijbehara before the 2022 delimitation exercise, holds historical significance for the Muftis. The legacy began with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, founder of the PDP, who first claimed the Bijbehara seat in 1962 under the banner of the National Conference (NC) faction led by Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq. Over the years, the seat has remained a symbol of the Mufti family’s political power and regional influence.

With Iltija Mufti now taking the reins at 37, the stakes have never been higher for the PDP. If she secures victory, she would be carrying forward the legacy of her grandfather and mother, reaffirming the party’s grip on one of its most vital constituencies. This momentous contest also signals the continuation of the third generation of the Mufti dynasty in Jammu and Kashmir’s volatile political landscape.

However, Iltija faces formidable competition from two political heavyweights. The National Conference, the oldest political party in Kashmir, is banking on 58-year-old Bashir Ahmad Shah, a veteran candidate who has contested this seat multiple times but never managed to break the PDP’s stronghold. His father, Abdul Gani Shah, represented the Bijbehara constituency from 1977 to 1990, and the NC hopes to reclaim the legacy Shah once commanded.

Shah’s journey in politics has been marked by resilience and perseverance. Despite repeated losses, the NC has invested heavily in him, making him an MLC during the party’s coalition with the Congress from 2009 to 2014. His nomination once again demonstrates the NC’s determination to dislodge the PDP from its citadel.

Meanwhile, in an unexpected twist, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making its own play for the constituency, fielding Sofi Mohammad Yousuf, a 57-year-old leader who has weathered the storm of BJP’s earlier unpopularity in Kashmir. Yousuf’s political career began when the BJP was still considered a taboo in the valley, but his loyalty to the party has paid off with key appointments, including a stint as an MLC during the brief PDP-BJP coalition government.

Yousuf’s candidacy signifies the BJP’s broader ambition of expanding its foothold in Kashmir, where it remains a fringe player. Winning Srigufwara-Bijbehara would not only give the BJP its first Assembly seat from Kashmir but would also solidify its growing influence in the region.

The upcoming elections have ignited intense speculation and fierce rivalries. With only three candidates vying for the seat, Srigufwara-Bijbehara stands apart from the other 24 constituencies that will go to polls in the first phase. While the contest may lack in numbers, it is brimming with political tension, historical legacies, and shifting dynamics that will shape the region’s future.

Iltija Mufti’s bid is seen by many as a calculated move by the PDP to preserve its electoral dominance. Her rise to prominence comes amid a growing need for the party to reinvent itself post-Article 370 and amid the national resurgence of the BJP. Should she emerge victorious, Iltija will not only cement her family’s legacy but also redefine the PDP’s political relevance in a rapidly changing Kashmir.

For the National Conference, this election is a last-ditch effort to reclaim lost ground in a region where it once held sway. Shah’s candidacy represents the NC’s determination to resurrect its former dominance and disrupt the PDP’s reign.

And for Yousuf and the BJP, this election is more than a chance to win a single seat – it is an opportunity to break new ground in a region where the party has long struggled for acceptance.

The people of Srigufwara-Bijbehara now stand at the crossroads of history, tasked with choosing between a continuation of legacy, a reclamation of past dominance, or a bold shift towards a new political future. As the countdown to September 18 begins, this small but significant constituency has become the focal point of Kashmir’s political drama, where the outcome could ripple far beyond the borders of Anantnag district.