Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, is going to make her electoral debut in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Iltija will contest from Bijbehara, the traditional family bastion in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. Iltija, who plays an active role in PDP’s political activities, is working as media advisor to the party chief.
Will Mehbooba Mufti not contest elections?
According to PDP sources, Mehbooba Mufti is now taking initiative towards handing over her political legacy to her daughter. It is being said that Mehbooba will now play the role of a mentor and this time she will distance herself from contesting the assembly elections. In such a situation, when Iltija Mufti, who can be the leader of PDP in future, know the special things related to her life.
Iltija is the candidate from Bijbehara
Iltija Mufti (37), daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, will contest the assembly elections from Bijbehara in South Kashmir. This was announced on Monday. Iltija Mufti’s name is also included in the list of 8 candidates released by the party for the upcoming elections. Bijbehra is considered the traditional stronghold of the Mufti family.
Graduate in Political Science from DU
Talking about Iltija Mufti, she has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Delhi University and a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom. Iltija first came into limelight when she was appointed media advisor during Mehbooba Mufti’s detention after the abrogation of Article 370. In August 2019, when there was a communication blackout across Kashmir, Iltija wrote a courageous letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah asking why she was kept under house arrest at her Srinagar residence.
When did you come into limelight?
Iltija was allowed to leave the valley, where she approached the Supreme Court for permission to meet her mother, which she eventually got. After Mehbooba Mufti’s release, Iltija was seen accompanying her in her media interactions and meetings. In June 2022, Iltija started a fortnightly video dialogue series named “Aapki Baat with Iltija” on social media platform X, in which she talks about issues and decisions affecting the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
She also came into limelight in passport case
Iltija is the elder of two sisters. He was brought up alone by his mother Mufti, as his father Javed Iqbal Shah, a businessman and sometime National Conference leader, had estranged from the family. Iltija’s younger sister is a public relations professional in Srinagar. In 2023, Iltija struggled with the authorities over the renewal of her passport. His passport had expired on January 2, and he had applied to get a new passport on June 8, 2022.
All eyes fixed on election field
However, the Regional Passport Office (RPO) of Srinagar did not issue him a new passport. After this, Iltija approached the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in February 2023 and demanded instructions to the RPO for passport renewal. He also wrote to the police administration to complete the verification process. Ultimately, the RPO issued him a passport in April 2023, despite an adverse verification report by the CID, which was classified as “Top Secret”. Iltija Mufti’s political journey is now at a new turn, and all eyes are on her upcoming electoral debut.