SRINAGAR: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti will contest the Lok Sabha polls from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat and will be pitched in direct fight against another former J&K CM and DPAP chief Ghulam Nabi Azad and National Conference’s prominent Gujjar leader Mian Altaf Ahmed.
PDP parliamentary board chief Sartaj Madni today announced party candidates for three LS seats of Kashmir.
Madni announced that Mehbooba would contest from the Anantnag-Rajouri LS seat while party’s youth-wing president Waheed Parra would contest polls from the Srinagar LS seat and former Rajya Sabha member Mir Fayaz, who recently rejoined PDP, from Baramulla.
Last week, Mehbooba announced candidates for three Valley seats after a snub from INDIA and Gupkar alliance ally, the National Conference. The NC announced to contest all three Valley LS seats without leaving any seat for Mehbooba, saying PDP was weakened and is not in a position to contest.
The NC and PDP have left both LS seats in the Jammu region for Congress. Both parties are supporting Congress on the two seats and did not field candidates.
The entry of Mehbooba in the fray has made the contest in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, the newly carved out constituency after the delimitation exercise, very interesting.
Mehbooba, 64, would be pitched in a direct fight against another former CM and DPAP chief Ghulam Nabi Azad and prominent Gujjar leader, Mian Altaf Ahmed.
She had also unsuccessfully contested the LS polls from the constituency in 2019 and secured the third position. In 2019, the Anantnag LS seat was won by NC’s Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi but the party has not repeated him in these polls.
The Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, which is spread over both Kashmir and Jammu regions, comprises 18 assembly constituencies.
The seat has a significant population of Gujjars and Bakerwals and Paharis. Of the 14 lakh voters in the constituency, about 50% of voters are Kashmiri Muslims, 28.5% Paharis and 21.5% Gujjars.
Snubbed by INDIA bloc
Last week, Mehbooba announced candidates for three Valley seats after a snub from INDIA and Gupkar alliance ally, the National Conference. The NC announced to contest all three Valley LS seats without leaving any seat for Mehbooba, saying PDP was weakened and is not in a position to contest. Her entry in the fray has made the contest in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, very interesting.