J&K: Kishtwar MLA Shagun Parihar pays tribute to her father, uncle

J&K: Kishtwar MLA Shagun Parihar Pays Tribute to Her Father and Uncle

On November 1, 2025, tributes were paid to Ajeet Parihar and Anil Parihar, who were shot dead in Kishtwar seven years ago, on November 1, 2018. The two brothers are remembered for their local service and their tragic deaths left a deep mark on the region.

Shagun Parihar’s Political Journey

In September 2024, Shagun Parihar ran as a candidate from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections. At 29, she had recently completed her PhD studies after earning an M.Tech in Electrical Power Systems from IK Gujral Punjab Technical University in 2021.

On October 8, when counting ended, Shagun narrowly defeated her National Conference (NC) opponent Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo by 521 votes. This slim margin was even less than the 615 NOTA votes polled in Kishtwar, highlighting how closely contested the election was. Many local observers believe her victory was influenced by the 997 votes captured by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Firdous Ahmed Tak.

Support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally campaigned for Shagun Parihar, inviting her to join him on stage during an election rally in Doda. Addressing the gathering, he described her as a symbol of courage and commitment.

“The BJP has given the ticket to her, a terror victim, to reflect the party’s determination to wipe out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir,”

said Prime Minister Modi during his address, as Shagun stood beside him, marking a poignant moment of resilience and remembrance.

Author’s Summary

Shagun Parihar’s narrow electoral victory and her tribute to her slain father and uncle underscore her deep personal and political journey rooted in resilience and remembrance.

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Organiser Organiser — 2025-11-02

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