NC releases list of 32 candidates

Srinagar, Aug 27: National Conference (NC) on Tuesday released the second list of its candidates for the upcoming assembly polls.

A statement of NC issued here said that the party released its second list of candidates for the assembly polls scheduled in three phases from September 18.

The party released a list of 32 contesting candidates after the list was approved by NC President Farooq Abdullah.

The list of candidates includes NC Vice President and former chief minister Omar Abdullah who would contest from the Ganderbal assembly segment while Mian Mehar Ali would contest from Kangan, a constituency reserved for ST candidates.

Salman Ali Sagar will contest from Hazratbal while his father, NC General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar will contest from Khanyar.

Shameema Firdous will contest from Habba Kadal while Ahsan Pardesi from Lal Chowk.

Mushtaq Guroo is the NC candidate for Chanapora while Tanvir Sadiq will contest from Zadibal.

Mubarak Gul will contest from Eidgah while Saifuddin Bhat from Khan Sahab.

Veteran NC leader Abdul Raheem Rather will contest from Chrar-e-Sharief while Ali Muhammad Dar will contest from Chadoora.

Gulab Ghar assembly seat which is reserved for STs, NC is fielding Khursheed Ahmad and Yashu Vardhan Singh for Kalakote-Sunderbani.

For Nowshera, NC is fielding Surinder Chowdary and Javid Chowdary will contest from Budhal, a seat reserved for STs.

Ajaz Ahmad Jan will contest from Poonch Haveli and Javid Rana from Mendhar, another seat reserved for STs.

Javid Mirchal is the NC candidate for Karnah and Mir Saifullah for Trehgam.

NC Provisional President Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani will contest from Kupwara while Qaiser Jamsheed Lone will contest from Lolab.

Another veteran NC leader Chowdary Muhammad Ramzan will contest from Handwara while Irshad Rasool Kar will contest from Sopore.

Javid Ahmad Dar will contest from Rafiabad, Sajad Shafi from Uri, Javid Hussain Beigh from Baramulla, Farooq Ahmad Shah from Tangmarg, Javid Reyaz Bedar from Pattan, Hilal Akbar Lone from Sonawari, Nazir Ahmad Gurezi from Gurez, a seat reserved for STs while Ajay Kumar Sadhotra will contest from Jammu North.

Irfan Raina reports from Ganderbal

Putting all speculations to rest, NC Vice President Omar Abdullah will contest the upcoming assembly polls from Ganderbal constituency.

Omar’s name appeared in the second list of 32 candidates released by the NC on Tuesday.

Omar, who previously said that he would not participate in assembly elections as long as Jammu and Kashmir remains a Union Territory, will now contest from his family bastion Ganderbal constituency.  Speaking to reporters after the formalisation of the seat-sharing pact between the NC and Congress on Monday evening, Omar hinted at a change in stance, stating that his earlier decision to stay away from the assembly may have been a mistake.

He said that seeking votes from the people while not being a candidate himself seemed contradictory.

This will be the third time Omar will contest from the Ganderbal assembly segment.

He lost the seat in 2002 against PDP candidate Qazi Muhammad Afzal but won it in 2008.

Ganderbal has been a stronghold for the NC, having elected three generations of the Abdullah family.

NC founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah won the seat in 1977, followed by his son Farooq Abdullah, who secured victories in 1983, 1987, and 1996 while Omar was elected from the constituency in 2008.

In 2014, Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar won the Ganderbal seat on the NC ticket.

Before that, he had contested more than two elections unsuccessfully on a Congress ticket.

Mian Mehar Ali son of veteran NC leader and sitting Member of Parliament (MP) Mian Altaf Ahmad, is stepping into the fray from Kangan, his family bastion represented by his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather since 1957.

Mehar has been given a mandate by the NC to contest from the Kangan assembly constituency, which is now a seat reserved for STs.

He will succeed his father Mian Altaf Ahmad who has been continuously winning the elections from the Kangan assembly constituency since 1987.

Altaf remained a five-time MLA from Kangan and in his recent debut in the parliamentary polls emerged the winner from Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency by a huge margin of votes.

Altaf’s win in the parliament elections paved the way for his son to jump into the electoral fray.

Mians have an impressive political profile in the region.

Although Mehar does not have much experience in politics, the legacy of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather has been a major factor for him to venture into politics.