J&K polls: Sajad Lone likely to fight from Handwara, Kupwara seats

Srinagar, Sep 06: Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) president Sajad Gani Lone is likely to fight from two assembly segments of Kupwara district.

Sources told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the party’s rank and file wants Lone to contest from Kupwara assembly segment, apart from Handwara seat where the party has maintained domination over National Conference over more than a decade now.

In the 2014 Assembly polls, PC chief Sajad Gani Lone won the Handwara seat with a margin of 5,423 votes. He polled 29,355 votes.

In the 2019 LS polls, PC secured a lead of 8085 votes over NC there. In the 2024 LS polls, PC managed to secure an impressive lead of more than 7000 votes from Handwara seat, relegating NC to 3rd spot in the segment.

Sources in PC disclosed that Sajad Lone is under pressure from the party workers to fight from Kupwara assembly seat also.

“Handwara is a cakewalk for us. So we want our party chairman to fight from the Kupwara segment also to ensure win from there. It would boost the morale of our party workers in the Kupwara segment,” a PC leader said.

With Lone joining the electoral fray, the Kupwara seat would witness a direct fight between him and National Conference given voting patterns of the recent Lok Sabha election.