After finalising its seat-sharing agreement with Congress, the National Conference (NC) on Monday released a list of 18 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections. The party announced on social media that party president Farooq Abdullah had approved these nominations.
Notable candidates include retired Justice Hussnain Masoodi from Pampore, Mohammad Khalil Bandh from Pulwama, Sheikh Mohammad Rafi from Shopian, Gh Mohi-Ud-Din Mir from Rajpora, and Khalid Najeeb Soharwardy from Doda. Other key nominees include Showkat Hussain Ganie for Zainpora, former minister Sakina Ittoo for DH Pora, Peerzada Feroze Ahmad for Devsar, Chowdary Zaffer Ahmad for Larnoo, Abdul Majeed Larmi for Anantnag West, Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri for Bijbehara, Reyaz Ahmad Khan for Anantnag East, Altaf Ahmad Kaloo for Pahalgam, Mehboob Iqbal for Bhaderwah, Arjun Singh Raju for Ramban, Sajad Shaheen for Banihal, Sajad Kichloo for Kishtwar, and Pooja Thokur for Pader-Nagsani.
Earlier on Monday, it was announced that as per the seat-sharing agreement between the National Conference and Congress for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, the National Conference will contest 51 out of 90 seats, while Congress will contest 32. The two parties will also engage in a “friendly contest” in five constituencies. Additionally, one seat each has been allocated to CPI(M) and the Panthers Party.
Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra, while making the announcement, said that the two parties had reached the seat-sharing agreement by understanding the “sensitivities of each other.”
He mentioned that some seats were challenging and that they would have a “friendly contest in a disciplined manner.”
The seat-sharing agreement was announced one day before the deadline for filing nominations for the first phase of elections on September 18, which will cover 24 seats.
“National Conference will contest on 51 seats, Congress on 32 and we have agreed to have a friendly but disciplined contest on 5 seats. Over and above these 88 seats, we have left 1 seat for CPI (M) and 1 seat for Panthers Party,” Karra said at a press conference.
Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will take place in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for October 4. Elections will be held across 90 Assembly constituencies in the region. According to the Election Commission, there are 88.06 lakh registered voters in the union territory.
