J&K polls: Surankote BJP candidate Syed Mushtaq Bukhari passes away
Surankote BJP candidate and former minister Syed Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari, 75, died on Wednesday morning after collapsing at his residence at Pamrote in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, party leaders said.
He was 75 and is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.
Bukhari was unwell for some time and suffered a heart attack at 7am, leading to his death, a BJP leader said.
Bukhari, a two-time MLA from Surankote, was fielded by the BJP from the assembly constituency that is reserved for a candidate from the Scheduled Tribes.
Once a confidant of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, Bukhari fell out with him over the delay in granting ST status to the Pahari community. After a four-decade association with the National Conference, he quit the party in 2022 and joined the BJP in February 2024.
A spiritual leader affectionately called Peer Sahab, Bukhari commanded respect in the Pahari community, which comprises 12.5 lakh residents of Rajouri, Poonch, Baramulla and Kupwara districts.
“I had promised that I’ll join any party that grants ST status to the Pahari community. Today, I have kept my word and express gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina for fulfilling the promise,” Bukhari had said while joining the BJP at the party’s headquarters in Jammu on February 15.
Besides Bukhari, hundreds of his supporters, including former bureaucrat GM Khwaja and retired senior superintendent of police Shabir Geelani, had joined the BJP that day.
On September 21, ahead of the second phase J&K elections on September 25, Amit Shah had addressed a rally in Surankote in support of Bukhari. Shah recalled his meeting with Bukhari in Delhi, where he had promised ST reservation to the Pahari community during his lifetime.
BJP, PDP, NC leaders mourn death
Former J&K deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta and UT BJP chief Ravinder Raina expressed condolences on Bukhari’s death. “Shocked and deeply pained to hear about the demise of a political stalwart and the BJP candidate from Surankote. This is an irreparable loss. I express my heartfelt condolences,” Raina posted on X.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti wrote, “Saddened to know about the death of Syed Mushtaq Bukhari sahab. May Allah Ta’aala grant him jannat and give his family the strength to bear this loss.”
In his condolence message, former CM Omar Abdullah said, “Very sorry to hear about the death of senior BJP leader Mushtaq Bukhari earlier today. His death is a loss to his party and the Pahari people whose cause he pleaded. May Allah grant him place in jannat. My condolences to his family.”
