Dr Harbaksh Singh, Parmeet Kour and Chaman Lal were all fighting against Muslim candidates in predominantly Muslim constituencies but their religion did not come in the way of their victory.

Kour and Singh, both Sikhs, have won the District Development Council elections from Tral and Rafiabad constituencies in Pulwama and Baramulla districts, respectively, while Lal, a Kashmir Pandit, has become the sarpanch of Shopian’s Zainpora.

“I got 1,452 votes out of 3,900 (votes polled) and my rival, who is a Muslim candidate from the Congress, got 986 votes. It is mostly the Muslims, over 1,300, who voted for me and the rest were from my community,” Singh, who is from the People’s Democratic Party, told The Telegraph.

“My victory is a snub to all the communal forces who have been projecting Kashmir in a bad light. It shows how Kashmiriyat and secularism are alive. There has been a media campaign against my party, saying they are Pakistanis, but my victory shows how they are all wrong.”

The PDP is part of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Alliance, which is fighting for the restoration of Article 370 provisions that gave Jammu and Kashmir its special status. The BJP has repeatedly dubbed the alliance a “gang of anti-nationals”.

Parmeet Kour, 30, a mother of three and a candidate of the People’s Conference (PC), which is also part of the Gupkar Alliance, won from Rafiabad’s Dangiwacha.

“I am so happy. People from all communities voted for me,” said Kour, whose husband is a driver.

PC leader Sajad Lone attributed Kour’s win to the “secular traditions” of the region.

Kashmiri Pandit Chaman Lal, an Independent elected sarpanch from Shopian’s Zainpora, lives in Jammu and could not even travel to Kashmir for campaigning after his wife’s death last month.