Terror victim Shagun Parihar scripted a new chapter in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir as she became the first elected female MLA of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in this part of the country.
Interestingly, the first female BJP MLA was elected from the Muslim majority assembly segment.
Since the establishment of the Praja Parishad on November 17, 1947, through the era of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh—an early precursor to the BJP—up until the present day, not a single woman has been elected under the banner of the Saffron Party in Jammu and Kashmir.
Although Priya Sethi was a BJP legislator in 2014, she was nominated as MLA from women's quota and was not elected by the people.
Shagun Parihar, who defeated the National Conference stalwart, two-time MLA, and ex-Home Minister in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, created history as she emerged victorious from a Muslim-dominated assembly seat of mountainous Kishtwar district which is part of the Chenab region.
"Shagun Parihar, daughter of a martyr is credited to the first elected female MLA in the history of Jammu and Kashmir BJP", a veteran BJP leader told The International Bussiness Times. He recalled that earlier mandates were given to women but none of them succeeded in winning elections.
Shagun wins the election in a fierce electoral battle.
In her maiden electoral battle, Shagun was fielded against political stalwart and senior leader of the National Conference Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo by the BJP in the Kishtwar Assembly segment which is considered as citadel of the Kitchloo family.
Although there were seven candidates in the fray, the election turned into a straight electoral battle between a novice and a political stalwart.
Shagun secured a narrow win in the Kishtwar Assembly segment by a narrow margin of 521 votes. Shagun Parihar secured 29053 votes while her rival Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo got 28532 votes. None of the other candidates secured over 1000 votes.
Shagun father and uncle killed by terrorists six years back
Shagun Parihar's father, Ajit Parihar, and uncle, Anil Parihar, who was a district BJP leader, were killed by terrorists in November 2018. Both Parihar brothers were going to their home on the fateful night when terrorists killed them in Kishtwar town.
Shagun Parihar's victory in the Kishtwar assembly segment of Jammu and Kashmir is a significant milestone in the state's electoral history. As the lone BJP woman candidate, she emerged victorious.
PM made a passionate appeal for Shagun's victory
The BJP's decision to field Shagun Parihar as their candidate is a strategic move aimed at appealing to the district's diverse religious communities. By selecting Shagun, who resonates with both the region's significant Muslim population and its smaller Hindu community, the party seeks to strengthen its presence in an area once ravaged by terrorism.
Shagun Parihar's personal history adds weight to her candidacy as she is a terror victim.
During his first campaign rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district on September 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted her background, calling her a "living symbol of the BJP's commitment to eradicating terrorism" in the Union Territory.
"Shagun is sitting on the dias whose father and uncle were killed by terrorists. The BJP gave a ticket to this daughter, a terror victim. She is not only a candidate but is a living picture of our determination to root out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir," Prime Minister Modi stated during a rally at Doda on September 14.
