Undefeated since 1987, Mian Altaf makes successful Parliament debut

Undefeated since 1987 in the Legislative Assembly polls, senior National Conference (NC) leader and former MLA Kangan, Mian Altaf Ahmad Larvi has made a successful entry into the Parliament by winning his first parliamentary elections from the Ananatnag-Rajouri seat by a huge margin.

Contesting in his maiden Lok Sabha polls, scion of the influential Mian family and five-time MLA from Kangan constituency, Altaf made a successful debut in the parliamentary elections by winning with a massive margin of 2,81,794 votes against his nearest opponent former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti.

Altaf got 5,21,836 votes.

In the entire NC, Altaf was seen as the only potential candidate who could win a considerable chuck of the Gujjar and Bakerwal votes spread in both parts of the constituency in the seven assembly segments of Rajouri and Poonch in Pir Panjal region and at least four of the 11 assembly segments in Anantnag and Kulgam districts in south Kashmir.

He was also seen as the only politician who could appeal to all regiments of the Gujjars, Paharis, and Kashmiris.

Hailing from a religious, respected, and politically influential family, Altaf, a law graduate from the University of Kashmir (KU) was born in Kangan in 1958.

He has been elected five consecutive times to the Legislative Assembly from the Kangan assembly constituency in 1987, 1996, 2002, 2008, and 2014. Altaf also served as a cabinet minister in the Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah-led governments.