“This vote is for the rejection of the PDP,” Mr. Abdullah said after he was declared winner.

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah was declared the winner of the Srinagar Lok Sabha byelection on Saturday. He defeated the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Nazir Khan by 10,766 votes.

“I want to thank people who voted for me. They have clearly rejected PDP,” said Dr. Abdullah at the party headquarters Nawa-e-Subh in Srinagar. The NC president had lost the 2014 parliament polls for the first time by over 40,000 votes to then PDP leader Tariq Hameed Karra. Mr Karra subsequently quit the PDP to join the Congress.

Eighty-year-old Dr. Abdullah posted an early lead with Kangan, Habbakadal and Budgam Assembly constituents giving him a decisive edge. Of the 15 Assembly segments, spread over three districts, the PDP led only in Amirakadal, Batamaloo and Khansahib. The PDP, however, secured 703 of the 974 migrant Pandit votes.

Pledging to safeguard Article 370, Dr. Abdullah promised to “seek a dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad and also ask New Delhi to talk to all stakeholders in Kashmir, including the Hurriyat leadership”.

“There is no alternative to talk. You have to talk in an effort to find a solution,” Dr. Abdullah said.

He said the youth of Kashmir were “stereotyped and pushed to the wall by the politics of arrogance and polarisation”.

Expresses anger over videos

Dr. Abdullah also expressed anguish over recent videos where army and CRPF jawans were allegedly tied a local to a jeep as human shied against stone throwers and shot a protester in the head.

The Congress, which supported Dr. Abdullah, described his victory as “rejection of communal forces”.

“People have rejected the communal agenda of PDP-BJP coalition, responsible for the deteriorating situation in the Valley. It’s victory of secular and unifying forces. The ruling dispensation backed by RSS is committed to implement their communal agenda to meet their dirty political ends,” said J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president G.A. Mir.