SRINAGAR: The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Thursday released its list of candidates for the first phase of District Development Council (DDC) polls in J&K. However, the list does not figure any Congress candidate.
The seat-sharing arrangement was shared with the media after the candidates of the constituent parties of the alliance filed their nomination papers, the last date for which was Thursday.
The list for 27 seats in the Valley was approved by NC chief and three-time former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah, who is also the chairman of the PAGD.
Of the 27 seats, the NC will be contesting on 21 seats, while Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP has been given tickets for four seats and Sajjad Lone’s Peoples Conference will be fielding candidates from two seats.
The PAGD is yet to release the candidates’ names.
A PAGD leader said given the paucity of time, the names of the candidates could not be shared.
"We all had to work at a breakneck speed. We will update the names of the candidates later because they were busy with the filing of nominations today," he said.
The first DDC polls will be held in eight phases from November 28 to December 19. The counting of votes will be held on December 22.
The PAGD, which was formed last month to fight for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A and statehood, comprises seven parties — the NC, PDP, Peoples Conference, ANC, JKPM, CPI(M) and CPI. The PAGD has also entered into a seat-sharing agreement with the Congress for the DDC polls to prevent the division of votes and unitedly fight against the BJP.
PAGD spokesman and Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone said all the candidates have filed their nomination papers. PAGD coordinator and NC MP Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi told this newspaper that the Congress candidate does not figure in the first phase.
“We got very little time to prepare the list, and the Congress also joined a few days back. We will be meeting in the next few days to finalise the candidates for the next seven phases,” he said.
(With PTI Inputs)