First Kashmiri Pandit Woman to Contest Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Polls in 30 Years

Ms Raina, a former employee of a private company in Delhi, and a previous sarpanch in Jammu and Kashmir, will contest from the Rajpora Assembly constituency in Pulwama. She is the sole candidate fielded by the Republican Party of India (Athawale), an ally of the BJP within the NDA alliance. Ms Raina, one of only nine women competing in the J&K polls, explained that she was urged by the youth to represent their voices in the Assembly. She acknowledged the suffering and challenges faced by the youth in Jammu and Kashmir, expressing their desire for their voices to be heard.

Despite her initial lack of intent to contest the elections, Ms Raina shared the youth’s insistence on her involvement in advocating for their concerns. Speaking about the region, she emphasized that she has faced no difficulties despite not having many people from her community residing there. She cited her experience of working without personal security, her efforts in facilitating the construction of amenities for the community, and establishing a Shivling in Pulwama. Pulwama, known for being a hotbed of terrorist activity and the site of the 2019 attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed, prompted questions regarding the area’s reputation.

Ms Raina, however, expressed her confidence in the ongoing work and progress, addressing concerns over potential problems. Furthermore, she highlighted the unique circumstances of the upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir as it will be the first election in nearly a decade and the first to occur in the region as a Union Territory following the revocation of its special status under Article 370 in 2019. Voting for the Union Territory’s 90 seats will take place in three phases between September 18 and October 1, with counting scheduled for October 8.