Amir Tantray
Srinagar, Oct 8: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has won its first-ever seat in Jammu and Kashmir’s assembly elections. AAP candidate Mehraj Malik clinched the Doda assembly seat in the Chenab Valley, defeating BJP’s Gajay Singh Rana by a margin of over 4,000 votes.
This election, held after a decade-long hiatus, saw intense competition, especially in Doda, where Congress fielded Sheikh Riyaz Ahmed and National Conference backed Khalib Najeeb Suharwardi. However, the fight ultimately boiled down to AAP and BJP, with Malik emerging victorious.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal took to social media platform X to congratulate Malik, stating, “Many congratulations to Aam Aadmi Party candidate Mehraj Malik from Doda for a landslide victory by defeating BJP. You fought a very good election.”
Kejriwal later video-called Mehraj and congratulated him for his victory. Mehraj Malik thanked him and also extended him an invitation to visit Kashmir on Thursday. “On 10th at 2 pm, we will wait for you. The public here will wait for you.” The Delhi Chief Minister accepted his invitation and promised to visit on October 10. “I will come. I will come for sure on the 10th,” he said.
Mehraj Malik, a 36-year-old postgraduate, has been a longtime member of AAP and has steadily built a strong support base in Doda over the past few years. He previously won the District Development Council (DDC) elections in 2021, becoming the first AAP representative in Jammu and Kashmir. Malik’s popularity surged during his recent election campaign, which culminated in a massive rally attended by senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh.
