NC, BJP rebels join fray in Surankote, Mendhar
Double-engine Govt will ensure development: Shekhawat
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 4: Two former Ministers and six legislators, a rebel each from NC and BJP, two District Development Council (DDC) members, former Vice Chancellor of a private university and great granddaughter of General Zorawar Singh were among 22 candidates who filed their nomination papers for second phase of Assembly elections in 11 seats of Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch districts in the Jammu division today.
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Tomorrow is last date for joining the electoral fray for second phase and BJP UT chief Ravinder Raina will file papers from Nowshera Assembly seat in Rajouri district among others.
Two former Ministers–Zulfkar Choudhary and Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari, both from BJP, joined the battle of ballots from Budhal and Surankote seats respectively today. Ex legislators who joined the fray include Choudhary Mohammad Akram (Independent-Surankote), Aijaz Ahmed Jan (NC-Poonch), Shah Mohammad Tantray (Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party-Poonch), Murtaza Khan (BJP-Mendhar, Mumtaz Khan (Congress-Reasi) and Master Tassaduq Hussain (PDP-Rajouri).
Imran Zaffar and Suhail Shehzad were the two DDC members who jumped into the fray today from Mendhar and Surankote segments respectively.
NC and BJP continued to face revolt from their leaders who filed papers as Independent candidates.
Suhail Shehzad, an Independent DDC member who had joined the BJP, today filed nominations from Surankote Assembly constituency as an Independent candidate after being denied the mandate. BJP fielded former NC leader and Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari from Surankote who also filed the papers today. Bukhari represented Surankote seat in 1996 and 2002 as NC candidate and also served as Minister in Farooq Abdullah Government.
Choudhary Mohammad Akram, who won Surankote seat in 2014 as Congress leader and had joined the NC later, filed his papers as an Independent candidate as the constituency went to the Congress as per seat-sharing agreement between the NC and Congress. Akram is the son of Congress stalwart late Choudhary Aslam who served as Speaker, Minister and PCC chief.
Qazi Mohammad Irshad filed papers from Surankote as an Independent candidate.
Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, former Minister filed his nomination from Budhal Assembly segment today in the presence of Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and BJP Incharge for Elections in J&K Ram Madhav.
Ali represented Budhal seat as the PDP candidate in 2008 and 2014 and served as Minister. Later, he defected to Altaf Bukhari’s Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party. He recently joined the BJP and was given the party mandate.
In a brief chat with media persons, Shekhawat declared that the BJP will form next Government in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The double-engine Government will ensure development in Jammu and Kashmir. Tourism will flourish in the UT,” he said.
Thakur Yasuvardhan Singh son of former MLA Rashpal Singh joined the electoral battle from Sunderbani-Kalakote constituency as the NC candidate. He was joined by NC provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta who charged the BJP with “all-round failure.” Yasuvardhan Singh among others will be facing his uncle and BJP candidate Thakur Randhir Singh.
Master Tassaduq Hussain, former MLC, entered into the poll race from Rajouri Assembly seat as the PDP nominee. Independent candidate Mian Mohammad Mehfooz also joined the electoral battle from the same seat.
Former Vice Chancellor of a private university Shahzad Ahmed Malik and ex PDP legislator Murtaza Ahmed Khan joined the contest from Mendhar Assembly seat today as Independent and BJP candidate. Imran Zaffar, a DDC member, who was elected on the Cong mandate and then switched over to Ghulam Nabi Azad’s DPAP, filed his papers from the same seat as an Independent.
Two former MLAs Aijaz Ahmad Jan and Shah Mohammad Tantray filed their nominations for Poonch-Haveli seat today as NC and JKAP candidates respectively. Jan represented Poonch seat in 2008 and Tantray in 2014 as PDP candidate. The PDP has fielded Shamim Ahmad Ganaie from Poonch segment who also submitted his nomination papers to the Returning Officer today.
In Reasi district, Mumtaz Khan, former MLA today filed his papers from Reasi seat while NC candidate Khursheed Ahmed joined the contest from Gulabgarh. Mumtaz won Gulabgarh seat in 2014 but later quit Congress to join JKAP. He returned to the Congress fold few days back and was given mandate by the party.
As per Congress-NC alliance, Reasi and Katra seats will be contested by the Congress and Gulabgarh by the NC.
Diksha Guleria, great grand-daughter of prominent Dogra warrior General Zorawar Singh also filed nominations from Reasi seat as an Independent candidate.
Other candidates who filed papers from Reasi seat include Satish Mohan (BSP), Bashir-ud-Din (JKNPP) and Kartar Singh (Independent).
Partap Krishan Sharma filed his papers as PDP candidate from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi seat Katra.
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