Sakina Itoo

The Honourable
Sakina Itoo
Cabinet Minister, Government of Jammu and Kashmir
Incumbent
Assumed office
16 October 2024
Lieutenant GovernorManoj Sinha
Chief MinisterOmar Abdullah
Ministry and Departments
  • Health and Medical Education
  • School Education
  • Higher Education
  • Social welfare
Minister for Social Welfare and Administrative Reforms, Inspections, Trainings & Public Grievances
In office
2008–2014
GovernorNarinder Nath Vohra
Chief MinisterOmar Abdullah
Preceded byPeerzada Mohammad Sayed
Succeeded bySajjad Gani Lone
Minister of State for Education, Government of J&K
In office
1996–1999
GovernorGirish Chandra Saxena
Chief MinisterFarooq Abdullah
Minister of State for Tourism and Floriculture, Government of J&K (Independent charge)
In office
1999–2002
GovernorGirish Chandra Saxena
Chief MinisterFarooq Abdullah
Leader of the Opposition in Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council
In office
2002–2008
ChairmanAbdul Rashid Dar
Ghulam Nabi Lone
Preceded byMohammed Muzaffar Parray
Succeeded byNayeem Akter
Member Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council
In office
2002–2008
GovernorSrinivas Kumar Sinha
Chief MinisterMufti Sayeed
Ghulam Nabi Azad
Member Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly
In office
1996–2002
ConstituencyNoorabad
In office
2008–2014
GovernorN.N Vohra
Chief MinisterOmar Abdullah
Personal details
Born (1970-12-05) 5 December 1970 (age 54)
Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir
Political partyJammu and Kashmir National Conference
Parent
Residence(s)Damhal Hanji Pora, Jammu and Kashmir, India
EducationIntermediate

Sakina Masood Itoo (born 5 December 1970[1]) is an Indian politician affiliated to the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference. She is currently the Cabinet minister for Education, Health & Medical Education and Social Welfare in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.[2] She has served as cabinet minister of erstwhile state of the Jammu and Kashmir. She has also served as minister for several departments, including Social Welfare, Ari Trainings and Public Grievances, Education, Tourism, Floriculture, Public Works, and PHE among others. She is one of the youngest members of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. She was only 26 years old when she won her first assembly election in 1996. She has won "Best MLA Award" in 2012 for her contribution to her constituency.[3]

Biography

Itoo was born to Wali Mohammad Itoo, speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on 5 December 1970 in Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir.[4] She did her intermediate from the Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education in 1991.[5] Later, she started her MBBS practice, professional degree in medicine, but left midway amidst her father's killing in 1994 and subsequently entered politics.[4]

Career

During her political career, Itoo served as a minister in several departments such as deputy minister for Education in 1996, state minister for Social Welfare, and Public Works.[4] Later, she was appointed a minister of Tourism and served the department until 2002.[6] In 2002, she lost an assembly constituency election[7] and was later nominated as a member of Legislative Council by the party in 2004.[6]

During 2014 assembly election campaign, a heavily circulated video clip showed her ordering an old man to vote for her in the name of Allah.[8][9] The video was reported as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct to the Election Commission of India by the opposition party. Omar Abdullah and the National Conference defended Itoo.[10][11] However, she lost again in 2014 against Abdul Majid Padder of PDP, who later joined the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party.[12]

In 2024 assembly elections, Sakeena won from the Damhal Hanjipora assembly constituency and defeated Gulzar Ahmad Dar of PDP by a margin of 17,449 votes.[12] On 16 October 2024, she was sworn in as the minister in the second cabinet of Omar Abdullah.[13] On 18 October 2024, following an order issued by lieutenant governor Sinha to allocate portfolios to council of ministers on the advice of chief minister, Sakeena was given the charge of Health and Medical Education, School Education, Higher Education, and Social Welfare.[14]

Electoral performance

Election Constituency Party Result Votes % Opposition Candidate Opposition Party Opposition vote % Ref
2024 Damhal Hanji Pora JKNC Won 53.45% Gulzar Ahmad Dar JKPDP 27.98% [15]
2014 Noorabad JKNC Lost 42.11% Abdul Majid Padder JKPDP 48.36% [16]
2008 Noorabad JKNC Won 35.23% Abdul Aziz Zargar JKPDP 25.43% [17]
2002 Noorabad JKNC Lost 27.15% Abdul Aziz Zargar JKPDP 29.74% [18]
1996 Noorabad JKNC Won 53.12% Gulzar Dar JD 32.56% [19]

References

  1. ^ "At a glance: 9 Muslim women candidates from Kashmir valley contesting J&K assembly polls". www.indiatvnews.com. 29 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Sakina Itoo, whose father was killed by terrorists, is sole woman minister in Omar Abdullah's J&K cabinet". Hindustan Times. 16 October 2024.
  3. ^ Hameed, Danishwar (16 October 2024). "Omar Abdullah's Cabinet: Spotlight on Sakeena Itoo, a woman of influence". The Kashmiriyat. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Personality". Kashmir Life. 25 March 2013.
  5. ^ "Miss Sakina Itoo (JKNC):Constituency- Noorabad (Kulgam) - Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info.
  6. ^ a b "Administrative Refirms, Inspections, Trainings & Grievances Department - Government of Jammu & Kashmir". jkaritrainings.nic.in.
  7. ^ "Jammu and Kashmir minister Sakina Itoo files nomination from Noorabad". DNA India. 13 November 2014.
  8. ^ "J&K minister Sakina seen in a video forcing an old man to vote for her". News18. 30 March 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Video shows NC leader asking for support in the name of religion". Hindustan Times. 30 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Viral Facebook video shows J&K minister Sakina Itoo forcing voter to support her". India Today. 30 March 2014.
  11. ^ "Shagun, Shamima and Sakina: Three women elected to Jammu and Kashmir Assembly". 9 October 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  12. ^ a b Bhat, Gulzar. "Sakina Itoo: From tragedy to triumph, a political legacy unshaken". Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  13. ^ Ashiq, Peerzada. "Omar Abdullah sworn in as J&K CM; Surinder Kumar Choudhary is Deputy CM". The Hindu.
  14. ^ PTI (18 October 2024). "J&K L-G allocates portfolios; who gets what in newly inducted Omar Abdullah-led cabinet". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  15. ^ Election Commission of India (8 October 2024). "J&K Assembly Election Results 2024 - Bandipora". Archived from the original on 10 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Jammu & Kashmir 2014 - Jammu & Kashmir - Election Commission of India". eci.gov.in. Archived from the original on 13 June 2019.
  17. ^ "Statistical Report on General Election, 2008 to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (pdf) on 25 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  18. ^ "Statistical Report on General Election, 2002 to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (pdf) on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  19. ^ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1996 to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (pdf) on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2024.