Iltija Mufti, daughter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, is trailing in her electoral debut from the Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency in the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. The National Conference (NC) candidate Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri, currently leads the race, while Sofi Yusuf is representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the same constituency.
At 37, Iltija entered the political arena as her mother’s media advisor following Mehbooba Mufti’s detention after the abrogation of Article 370. Despite her efforts in campaigning during the Lok Sabha elections in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, where her mother faced defeat, Iltija emerged as a vocal figure advocating for Kashmir during a tumultuous period.
Bijbehara, a traditional stronghold for the Mufti family in Anantnag district, was previously represented by senior PDP leader Abdul Rehman Veeri, who served from 1999 to 2018. Iltija took over his place as the 2024 PDP candidate, while Veeri moved to contest from Anantnag East. In 2014, the seat was won by PDP leader Abdul Rehman Bhat, continuing the party’s presence in the region.