J-K assembly polls: Iltija Mufti, daughter of ex-CM Mehbooba, set to make electoral debut from family bastion Bijbehara

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has named Iltija Mufti, daughter of party president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, as the constituency in-charge for the Bijbehara assembly seat in Jammu and Kashmir, paving way for her electoral debut. 

The party nominated constituency incharges for eight assembly segments – seven in south Kashmir including Bijbehara and Chrar-e-Shareef in central Kashmir's Budgam on August 19, a day ahead of notification for the first phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir scheduled on September 18 is issued.

Bijbehara is the assembly constituency from where Iltija's mother Mehbooba Mufti had also made her electoral debut in 1996 on a Congress ticket. The seat is considered a stronghold of the Mufti family.

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Mehbooba’s father and Iltija’s grandfather,  also won the election from Bijbehara in 1967. 

Iltija will thus be the third generation member from Mufti family to contest polls from the constituency.

Reports suggested that Mehbooba Mufti, who is busy attending her ailing mother, is unlikely to contest the assembly polls. In that case, her daughter Iltija,37, will be the party's face in South Kashmir. Mehbooba lost the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Anantnag-Rajouri seat in South Kashmir. 

Jammu and Kashmir is all set to hold its first Assembly elections in a decade to elect a government after over six years of Central rule.

Voting will be held in three phases with first round on September 18. The next two phases will be held on September 25 and October 1. The results will be announced on October 4.

The PDP-BJP government formed in Jammu and Kashmir could not complete the full term as the BJP withdrew its support to former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s party in 2018. Since then, the erstwhile state has been under central rule.

The party also named Abdul Rehman Veeri from Anantnag East, Sartaj Ahmad Madani from Devsar, Mehboob Beg from Anantnag, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura from Chrar-e-Shareef, Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Wani from Watchi and Rafiq Ahmad Naik from Tral as incharges.

PDP youth leader Waheed-ur Rehman Parra has been nominated as the constituency incharge from south Kashmir's Pulwama seat. Parra unsuccessfully contested the recent parliamentary polls from Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.

The notification for the first phase of the three-phased assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be issued on Tuesday.

In the first phase, 16 seats in the valley and eight from the Jammu region will go to polls on September 18.

(With PTI inputs)