Who Is Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid? Jailed Independent Candidate Who Defeated Omar Abdullah From Baramulla LS Seat

Jammu and Kashmir Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister faced a shocking defeat from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat at the hands of Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid, a firebrand former MLA who is currently lodged in jail under the UAPA act.

As per latest trends published by the Election Commission, Abdullah is trailing by 1,60,082 votes to Rashid’s tally of 3,54,679 votes. The National Conference (NC) vice president has received 1,94,597 votes while separatist-turned-mainstream politician Sajad Ghani Lone- another strong contender for the Baramulla seat, stands at third place with just over 1.2 lakh votes.

Who is Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid?

Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid is a firebrand politician from the Kashmir Valley who formerly represented the Langate Assembly constituency in Handwara town of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Rashid, who is contesting as a independent candidate in the Lok Sabha polls, heads the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party, and is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 when he was booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for alleged terror funding.

Engineer Rashid Political Career, Early Life

Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid to locals, worked as a construction engineer before he quit his job in 2008 and embarked on a political career which would soon land him in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly as an MLA from Langate constituency.

Engineer Rashid led a brief electoral campaign in the 2008 Jammu and Kashmir state polls and registered a comfortable win from the Langate seat.

Controversial

Rashid is known for his controversial stance on various issues and is alleged to have a soft corner for the separatist movement in Kashmir, an accusation which many have alleged resonate with many of his supporters, hence the reason for his popularity.

Even before he joined politics, Engineer Rashid was arrested by Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police in 2005 and booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly supporting militants.

Rashid was in jail for over three months before he was eventually released on humanitarian grounds.

In October 2015, Rashid was assaulted by BJP MLAs inside the state assembly after he hosted a “beef party” on the lawns of the government circuit house to protest against the Central government beef ban order in the country.

Later, black ink was hurled at him in Press Club New Delhi, allegedly by BJP workers, after his remarks condemning the brutal lynching of a Kashmiri trucker in Udhampur district.

Jailed under UAPA

Engineer Rashid is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi since 2019 under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA for his alleged involvement in “terror funding”.

In his absence, Rashid’s two sons– Abrar Rashid and Asrar Rashid– led his poll campaign, drawing massive crowds, especially youth, across the valley.

Omar concedes defeat

Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah has conceded defeat from the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency. In a tweet, the former chief minister “congratulated” Engineer Rashid on his victory, while asserting that the poll win will not “hasten his release from prison nor will the people of North Kashmir get the representation they have a right to”.

“I think it’s time to accept the inevitable. Congratulations to Engineer Rashid for his victory in North Kashmir. I don’t believe his victory will hasten his release from prison nor will the people of North Kashmir get the representation they have a right to but the voters have spoken and in a democracy that’s all that matters,” Omar wrote on X.