October 8, 2024: In a significant turn of events during the ongoing elections in Jammu and Kashmir, former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah has established a strong lead in both constituencies he contested: Ganderbal and Budgam. Early trends reveal that Abdullah is poised for victory as he faces off against candidates from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a notable upset, PDP’s Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, is trailing in her family's traditional stronghold of Bijbehara. NC candidate Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri is leading by 1,847 votes, marking a potential shift in the political landscape of the region that has been dominated by the PDP since 1998.

Meanwhile, in Nowshera, BJP chief Ravinder Raina finds himself significantly behind NC’s Surinder Choudhary, who leads by 5,529 votes with a total of 8,910 compared to Raina's 3,381 votes. This is a stark contrast to the 2014 elections when Raina defeated Choudhary by a margin of 9,503 votes.

Additionally, in Udhampur East, former BJP leader Pawan Khajuria, who left the party after being denied a ticket, is currently leading against BJP’s RS Pathania by 1,816 votes.