How two independent candidates won seats in India's government - from jail

As the final results of the Indian elections trickle in, two victorious independent candidates have captured the admiration of many for winning their seats from jail.

Amritpal Singh, a Sikh separatist candidate who is not supported by any political party, contested and won the Khadoor Sahib seat in the state of Punjab.

Sheikh Abdul Rashid, better known as Engineer Rashid, is also an independent candidate currently facing terror charges, who won the Baramulla seat in the India-administered Kashmir.

Singh the 'moderate' separatist

Singh has advocated for a separate homeland for Sikhs - a state called Khalistan - and is the chief of the local Waris Punjab De organisation. The demand for a separate Sikh homeland has been around since the 1970s, but was largely suppressed in the 1990s after the state's crackdown.

The 30-year-old was arrested last year by the Punjab Police, under the Aam Aadmi Party-led state government, with the help of the BJP-led Union government.

Singh was slapped with charges related to the National Security Act (NSA) after he and many of his supporters stormed a police station, while armed, demanding the release of one of his aides. He continues to be incarcerated.

But this arrest may have worked in his favour during the elections, said Sandeep Singh, an independent multimedia journalist who has reported on Khadoor Sahib and Singh.

Speaking to TRT World, the journalist explained, "The state cracked down on him. Not just him, but pretty much all of Punjab. (The) internet was also cut off, which made Punjab angry. People were very upset. They were very angry that our people were being dealt with unjustly."

National daily newspaper The Indian Express reported that the arrest of over 300 young people during the police manhunt for Amritpal Singh in 2023 also contributed to his win. A lot of these young people were picked up for merely interacting with him, leaving many villagers angry.

Sandeep Singh added that while reporting on the constituency, people also spoke of the anti-drug initiative led by Amritpal Singh's organisation. Punjab has been battling drug issues for a while now, and has seen some of the country's highest number of drug overdose deaths.

During the election, Amritpal Singh also toned down his Khalistani demands. Sandeep Singh said that while Khalistan remains one of the candidate's core issues, it was not even mentioned in his election manifesto, neither were votes sought in the name of Khalistan during the campaign.

"I don't think these votes were for Khalistan. I remember speaking to some retired personnel of paramilitary forces who said they supported Amritpal. So I asked them, 'are you for Khalistan?' They said no. They said they were supporting him because of the oppression by the state, and for his anti drug drive," he said.

Engineer Rashid

Meanwhile, another incarcerated candidate, Engineer Rashid, has emerged as the giant slayer this election, having defeated former Chief Minister of the India-administered Kashmir, Omar Abdullah of the JK National Conference and separatist turned mainstream politician, Sajjad Lone.

What makes the feat even more impressive is that Rashid is currently lodged in Tihar jail in New Delhi, on terror funding charges. He was arrested under anti-terror laws by the federal anti-terrorism agency, the National Investigation Agency, in 2019, and has been incarcerated since.

In response to the election results, opponent Omar Abdullah posted on X:

"I think it's time to accept the inevitable. Congratulations to Engineer Rashid for his victory in North Kashmir. I don't believe his victory will hasten his release from prison nor will the people of North Kashmir get the representation they have a right to but the voters have spoken and in a democracy that's all that matters."

Nazir Masoodi, a senior broadcast journalist who has covered the Kashmir valley for almost 3 decades, told TRT World that this was an unprecedented result in more ways than one.

"It is record breaking, not just because of the number of votes and margins, but also because this was the first campaign by a person in jail. Nobody in jail has ever won a seat in Jammu and Kashmir [India-administered Kashmir]," he said.

Bashaarat Masood, an Indian Express journalist who has covered the valley for 20+ years, added that Rashid's incarceration was a key element in the campaign run by his family.

"Rashid's campaign (run by his sons) revolved around one thing: help us secure a release for our father. They used slogans like Tihar ka badla vote se denge (we will avenge Tihar with votes), and Zulm ka badla vote se denge (we will avenge injustice with votes)," he told TRT World, adding that this was clearly a "vote against quote unquote oppression."

Rashid's perceived "victimhood" also resonated with the people, according to Masood.

As the two incarcerated politicians find their way to the Parliament, their supporters will have to wait and watch to see how they carry out their duties from behind bars.