J&K elections: Veteran Left leader MY Tarigami leads from Kulgam constituency

Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader MY Tarigami was leading from the Kulgam constituency in South Kashmir in the assembly election, the results of which are being announced on Tuesday, October 8.
As the votes were being counted, the leader, part of the broader Congress-National Conference alliance, faced a tough challenge from Jamaat-backed independent candidate Sayyar Ahmad Reshi.
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Tarigami is a prominent leader from the region and a four-time MLA, having represented the Kulgam constituency in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in 1996, 2002, 2008, and 2014.He is also the convenor and spokesperson for the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration and a member of the central committee of the CPI(M).
Yousuf Tarigami was influenced by Abdul Kabir Wani of Chawalgam in his formation as a communist. At the age of 18, in 1967, Tarigami and his friend Ghulam Nabi Malik organised a protest demanding an increase in the intake capacity at Anantnag Degree College.
Yousuf Tarigami’s activism took a significant turn in 1967 when he was imprisoned for championing farmers’ rights against the forcible procurement of rice.
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After the 1975 Indira-Sheikh Accord transformed Jammu and Kashmir into a constituent unit of the Union of India, he began advocating for the right to self-determination, a stance that ultimately resulted in more jail time.
During his imprisonment, he endured the heartbreaking loss of his wife.
The name Tarigami has its origins in a memorable press briefing with Sheikh Abdullah, the then chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
During the briefing, a journalist reportedly had asked about the arrest of Mohammed Yousuf Rather. Abdullah referred to him as “wo jo Tarigam wala” (that one from Tarigam), highlighting Tarigami’s connection to his native village.
Later, this remark led the media, especially newspapers, to adopt the name Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami in their coverage.
During the campaign, Tarigami appealed for votes based on the developmental projects he has implemented as a four-time MLA. He also raked up the Jamaat’s alleged connections to killings and militancy.
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