Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 2: BJP UT president, Ravinder Raina and party general secretary, Vibodh Gupta figured in the fourth list of six candidates released by party High Command for second phase of Assembly elections in J&K slated to be held on September 25.
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Besides them, other four candidates whose names were today announced by the party for second phase of elections included Eijaz Hussain, Arif Raja, Dr Ali Mohammed Mir and Zahid Hussian, all from four Assembly segments of Srinagar and Budgam districts in Kashmir valley.
While, Ravinder Raina and Vibodh Gupta have been fielded from Nowshera and Rajouri Assembly segments in Rajouri district of Jammu region, Eijaz Hussian and Arif Raja, former Corporator Srinagar Municipal Council have been fielded from Lal Chowk and Eidgah Assembly segments in Central Kashmir’s Srinagar district respectively. Dr Ali Mohammed Mir, a senior BJP leader and Zahid Hussian have been given mandate from Khansahib and Charar-i-Sharief Assembly segments in Budgam district of Central Kashmir.
BJP UT president, Ravinder Raina had earlier won the Nowshera-Sunderbani Assembly seat in 2014 elections by defeating Surinder Choudhary of People’s Democratic Party (PDP). This time he is again facing Surinder Choudhary who has been given mandate by the National Conference (NC) after he quit the PDP. Congress which is in pre-poll alliance with National Conference has not fielded any candidate from Nowshera this time.
After getting green signal from the party of his candidature yesterday, Raina today visited Nowshera to launch his poll campaign. He was given warm welcome by the people in the area after his arrival there.
Raina exuded confidence of winning the seat for second term again. He said with the work done by him in his constituency during last five years as MLA and the overall development of the region by Modi Government is giving his party edge over all other parties. “Border areas which used to face shelling from across and people were forced to migrate for safer places are calm now. This all is because of the policies of Narendra Modi Government’’, he added.
Raina, a staunch RSS man played a crucial role in 2008 Amarnath land row agitation.
BJP general secretary, Vibodh Gupta whom party fielded from Rajouri (ST) seat is facing Iftikhar Ahmed of Congress whose name was also announced by the party today.
Vibodh also a staunch RSS ideologue is former Member Legislative Council (MLC). He too is confident of his victory saying that his party Government at Centre led by Narendra Modi worked for the welfare of all sections of society.
Exuding confidence, he said people of all communities will support him. Gupta said it was BJP which fulfilled aspirations of Gujjars and Bakkerwals by giving them political reservation which was a long pending demand of the community. “Besides, our party gave reservation to Paharis which were neglected by earlier Governments’’, he added.
The last date for filing of nomination papers for the second phase is on September 5 and the scrutiny of papers will be done on September 6. The election for 26 seats in the UT of J&K will be held in September 25.
Today’s was fourth list announced by the party.
The party has fielded 51 candidates in UT including 14 in Kashmir valley.
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