Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election, 2008

Jammu and Kashmir state assembly elections, 2008

← 2002 17 November 2008 to 24 November 2008 2014 →
all 87 seats in Legislative Assembly 44 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	60.5%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Omar Abdullah Mehbooba Mufti Party JKN PDP INC Last election 28 16 20 Seats won 28 21 17 Seat change none 5 3   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader Bhim Singh Party BJP JKNPP Last election 1 4 Seats won 11 3 Seat change 10 1
Chief Minister before election Ghulam Nabi Azad INC Elected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah JKN

Ghulam Nabi Azad
INC

Omar Abdullah
JKN

Elections for the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir were held over seven days in November and December 2008. The previous government led by the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP) in coalition with the Indian National Congress (INC) collapsed when the PDP withdrew. Following the election, the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (NC) agreed a coalition with Congress and their leader, Omar Abdullah became the state's youngest ever Chief Minister at 38.

Elections for the Jammu and Kashmir state Assembly were due in 2008, following the end of the term of the Assembly elected in 2002. However the PDP withdrew from the INC-led state government in protest at the Amarnath land transfer decision. The INC government resigned in July 2008 and the state was brought under direct rule of the central government pending the elections.

The main Kashmiri separatist group, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference called on Kashmiris to boycott the elections, saying the elections were a "futile exercise" that would never "fulfill the aspirations of the people".

Despite these boycott calls, NC leaders claimed that activists from Jamaat-e-Islami had comeout and voted for the PDP.

There were scattered separatist protests throughout the elections, including hundreds who protested in Srinagar. Police prevented these protestors from marching to the centre of the city which led to protestors throwing stones at the police who fired tear gas and used baton charges.

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Wikipedia