BJP released the fourth list of 6 candidates for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina will contest from Nowshera. Apart from this, the party has fielded Arif Raja from Idgah seat, Aijaz Hussain from Lal Chowk seat, Dr. Ali Mohammad Mir from Khansahib seat. Along with this, Zahid Hussain from Charar-e-Sharif seat and Vibodh Gupta from Rajouri (ST) seat have been given tickets.
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In the last assembly elections held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014, when it was a full-fledged state, the BJP had won 25 seats. The party is making every effort to fend off the challenge from a revived Congress, which has formed an alliance with the National Conference, especially in the Jammu region, which has been a BJP bastion since 2014. Meanwhile, the Congress today released its second list of six candidates for the forthcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, fielding Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Tariq Hameed Karra from the Central Shalateng seat. The list was released soon after the Congress’ central election committee meeting here to finalise the names of candidates for the polls.
The party is fighting the elections in alliance with the National Conference. Besides Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Karra, the party has fielded Mumtaz Khan from Reasi, Bhupinder Jamwal from Mata Vaishno Devi, Iftikhar Ahmad from Rajouri (ST), Shabbir Ahmad Khan from Thannamandi (ST) and Mohammad Shahnawaz Choudhary from Surankote (ST). These constituencies will go to polls in the second phase of the three-phase assembly elections. The total number of candidates announced by the party now stands at 15.
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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, general secretary in-charge (organisation) KC Venugopal, Karra, Jammu and Kashmir screening committee chief Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Salman Khurshid and other leaders attended the meeting at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here. The National Conference and the Congress have finalised the seat-sharing formula and will contest 51 and 32 seats respectively. The CPI(M) and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) have been allotted one seat each. Last week, the Congress released its first list of nine candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases – September 18, September 25 and October 1 – followed by counting of votes on October 8.
