G A Mir wins comprehensively in Dooru

Anantnag, Oct 8: All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary G A Mir secured a decisive victory in the Dooru constituency, defeating his arch-rival, retired judge and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Muhammad Ashraf Malik, by a staggering margin of 29,000 votes.

Mir garnered 44,270 votes, while Malik managed only 14,542.

Dooru, a constituency known for its traditionally high voter turnout, saw enthusiastic participation in this election as well. Mir's victory was widely expected by political analysts, further cemented by the Congress’ alliance with the National Conference (NC), which simplified his path to success.

Mir first made his mark in the 2002 assembly elections, defeating National Conference veteran Muhammad Akbar Ganai on a Congress ticket. He repeated the feat in 2008, again overcoming Ganai.

However, in the 2014 assembly elections, Mir faced anti-incumbency and narrowly lost to PDP's Farooq Andrabi. This election, Mir’s return to power was anticipated, with many political pundits predicting an easy win.

His triumph is seen as a significant boost for Congress, particularly as the party faces internal challenges following the departure of veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who formed the Democratic Azad Progressive Party (DAPP). Several former Congress legislators, including Muhammad Amin Bhat from Devsar and Gulzar Ahmad Wani from Shangus, defected to Azad’s new party.

Speaking to Greater Kashmir, Mir expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, calling the win a success for secular forces.

“We welcome all political formations to join our alliance if they stand against the communal politics of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),” Mir said, emphasising the need for a united front against divisive politics.

This victory marks Mir's third term in office and is seen as a major win for the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir amidst a challenging political landscape.