Baramulla voted against Tihar jail

NEW DELHI: A popular narrative claimed 15,000 Kashmiri youths, including Rashid, were in Tihar jail, prompting votes against the jail.

The surprising results in Lok Sabha elections over the seat of Baramulla (Kashmir), where a jailed engineer, Sheikh Abdul Rashid defeated the political giants by the margin of more than two lakh votes, calls to attention the power of his political narrative which he spun to weaken his opponents during the campaigning.

Dislodging the ex-chief minister and National Conference (NC) figurehead Omar Abdullah and People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone, Rashid had, according to leaders, built his narrative upon the youngsters who have been jailed by the Indian administration.

According to an Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) leader, “There was this popular narrative being circulated that there are around 15, 000 Kashmiri youths in Tihar jail and the Rashid is also in Tihar jail, therefore this vote should be against Tihar jail. It had tugged the heartstrings of his electorate and they became emotionally drawn towards the candidate defying all the predictions.”

The constituency which had recorded a vote percentage of around 34 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections this time increased to around 58 per cent in the recently concluded 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

According to political watchers, Before the results were announced and the improvement in the voting percentage of people was out there was already this assumption that it would be Rashid who could be the winner as his 26-year-old son had campaigned extensively among people.

A Congress leader said, “There were people

who had come out for the first time to vote. Young men and women came out to vote for him. He does not have much cadre. It’s very little compared to what the National Conference has. But people made sure that Omar did not win as there is historical baggage that Omar carries. His tenure also saw many youngsters detained under the Public Safety Act.”

Against all odds, according to leaders in Baramulla, the results will boost the prospects of Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) and also help him create a political platform for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

A political analyst said, “There are around 15 assembly seats in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency and NC has been very strong on it. But the win will surely create a push-and-pull and leaders will start joining the new party. Moreover, Rashid is very aggressive. His aggressive politics is liked by many and can flourish in the Kashmir-like ecosystem.”