Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Shagun Parihar has emerged victorious in Kishtwar during the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election, winning by a margin of over 500 votes. Shagun defeated the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference’s (JKNC) candidate, Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo. Kishtwar Assembly is one of the 90 constituencies in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, a north state of India.
Shagun Parihar’s father, Ajeet Parihar, and her uncle, Anil Parihar, a senior BJP leader, were killed by terrorists on November 1, 2018. During her campaign, Shagun emphasised that her votes would not be just for her family but for every family that has suffered losses due to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP first won in Kishtwar in 2014.
A research scholar with an MTech degree in electrical power systems, she is currently pursuing a PhD and preparing for the J&K Public Service Commission examination.
According to sources close to Parihar, she did not initially plan to run in the Assembly polls. However, on August 26, the BJP announced her as its candidate for Kishtwar.
Her uncle, Anil, has been involved in Kishtwar politics, especially during the BJP’s Doda Bachao Andolan in the 1990s . By fielding Parihar, the BJP aimed to highlight its commitment to achieving a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir.
