Congress party chief Tariq Hameed Karra has filed his nomination from the Central Shalteng constituency for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. The Congress party, following a key meeting of its Central Election Committee, announced its list of candidates for Phase 2 of the elections on Monday.
The meeting, held at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi, saw the attendance of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, and general secretary KC Venugopal, among others.
Other prominent candidates in the Congress lineup for Phase 2 include Mumtaz Khan from Reasi, Bhupender Jamwal from Mata Vaishno Devi, Iftikhar Ahmed from Rajouri (ST), Shabbir Ahmed Khan from Thannamandi (ST), and Mohammad Shahnawaz Choudhary from Surankote (ST). These candidates will contest in the second phase of the three-phase elections.
The Congress is contesting the Jammu and Kashmir elections in alliance with the National Conference, and so far, 15 candidates have been announced. The seat-sharing agreement between the two parties gives the National Conference 51 seats, while Congress will contest 32 seats. The CPI(M) and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) have been allocated one seat each.
In Phase 1, Congress fielded key candidates including Ghulam Ahmad Mir from Dooru and former JKPCC chief Vikar Rasool Wani from Banihal, among others.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections will take place in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for October 8.