People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti has said that she will cherish her sweeping win against her National Conference rival Mehboob Baig in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag parliamentary constituency.
Mufti defeatred Baig by a margin of 65,417 votes. Addressing media after her victory, Mufti said: "I am very thankful to the people over here who cast their vote for the PDP. Previous records have been beaten. I would like to compliment the state administration, the Election Commission of India, all those who were actively involved in ensuring a free and fair elections here. After 2002, it is now that I think a very good tradition was established. And, once more Jammu and Kashmir has achieved credibility."
Mufti has never lost any election since joining politics in 1996. She polled 2,00,429 votes, while Baig got 1,35,012 votes. Mufti further said: "Our agenda remains to build consensus with all political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, to change mindsets about Jammu and Kashmir, to adopt a policy of reconciliation, not only with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, viz a viz rest of the country, but also a policy of reconciliation with Pakistan."
"We think that apart from winning the hearts of people of Jammu and Kashmir, establishing good relations with Pakistan, our neighbour, is a must. This friendship with Pakistan was established during the governance of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and General Parvez Musharraf. Me and my esteemed colleagues like Muzzafar Hussain Baig and Tariq Ahmed Karra would like to take that forward," said Mufti. Kashmir reverberated with the bursting of fire crackers and shouting of victory slogans on Friday, as overjoyed party workers celebrated the landslide victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the valley.
Modi's mantra of development has won over many voters skeptical about his Hindu-centric ideology and role in sectarian riots in his home state in 2002 in which more than 1,000 people died, mainly Muslims. He has denied any wrongdoing and a probe ordered by the Supreme Court has found he had no case to answer. Modi has promised that, if elected, he would take decisive action to unblock stalled investments in power, road and rail projects to revive economic growth that has fallen to a decade low of below five percent.
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