Son of ex-JeI General Secy to contest from Langate as independent candidate

Kupwara, Sep 02: Dr Kalim Ullah, son of Ghulam Qadir Lone, the former General Secretary of banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), has officially declared his intention to run as an independent candidate for the Langate assembly seat in the upcoming elections.

Talking to the Greater Kashmir Dr Kalim Ullah expressed his commitment to offering a new vision for the area.

He highlighted his intention to distinguish himself from established party candidates by focusing on addressing local issues with novel ideas and solutions.

His main competitors include Irfan Panditpori from the People's Conference (PC), an unnamed candidate from the Awami Ittihad Party (AIP), Mir Junaid, Khwaja Munawar from Apni Party and unnamed joint candidate from the NC-Congress alliance.

Dr Kalim's educational journey began at Government High School (GHS) Lokipora and Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Muqam, followed by a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science Engineering from Jammu University and Lovely Professional University, respectively, and a PhD in Computer Science Engineering from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar.

Dr Kalim has previously served as an assistant professor on a contractual basis at the same institution. His educational background and professional experience underscore his dedication to knowledge and development.

"Over the past months, I have been actively engaging with local communities, visiting villages, and gathering feedback from residents and my efforts have been met with a positive response, indicating a readiness among locals for a change in their political representation", he said.

When asked about the potential backlash from his familiar association with Jamaat-e-Islami, which has historically been critical of electoral politics, he said, "I chose not to address these concerns directly. Instead, and focus on my campaign and engagement with voters, underscoring my commitment to representing the people of Langate with a fresh approach.”