Sajjad Gani Lone leading, PDP ahead in 2 seats in Kupwara

People's Conference leader Sajjad Gani Lone, who is fighting his first assembly polls, was leading over his nearest National Conference rival in Handwara while PDP was ahead in two of the five constituencies in Kupwara district, according to early trends.
Lone, youngest son of Abdul Ghani Lone who was killed in a rally in Srinagar in 2002, was leading by a margin of 2,417 votes over NC minister Chowdry Mohamad Ramzan.
Lone said he was "very nervous" as it was his first assembly election. "However, I would like to say that I want to serve the people of my state if we win some seats this time," he told reporters.

Lone said his party would like to contribute to the new government irrespective of which party leads it.
Before the assembly polls, Lone had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi which had raised eyebrows in Kashmir Valley.
In Kupwara constituency, Lone's party colleague Bashir Ahmad Dar is leading by a margin of 1,791 votes over his PDP rival Mir Mohd Fayaz.

PDP candidate Abdul Haq Khan is leading by a margin of 2989 votes over his National Conference rival Qaiser Jamsheed Lone in Lolab constituency.
Similarly, in Karnah seat, Raja Manzoor Ahmad of the PDP is leading by 3,234 votes over his NC rival Kifil Ur Rehman.

In Langate, independent candidate and sitting MLA Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rashid is leading by a margin of 4,820 votes over his nearest rival PDP's Ghulam Nabi Ganai.
In 2008 assembly elections, out of the five seats in Kupwara district, NC had won in three constituencies, PDP in one and independent one seat.