Challenges for Mehbooba in assembly polls
She lost against political greenhorn Hasnain Masoodi, a retired judge, from the National Conference by a margin of around 9,800 votes.

She was unable to get the voters out in Shopian and Pulwama, which were considered to be her strongholds, as the PDP had won all the assembly segments from here in the 2014 assembly election.
The PDP appeared to have paid the price of forming an alliance twice with the BJP after having contested the 2014 general election against the party. The alliance ended only when the BJP pulled the plug last year, leaving the PDP in dire straits as its cadre felt betrayed. Even while in power, Mufti was not able to conduct by-elections in Anantnag parliamentary constituency since 2016. Five-month long protests and civilian killings in 2016 after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani dented her pro-people image.
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