Usman Majid to contest as independent candidate

Bandipora, Aug 25: Former MLA from Bandipora constitunecy, Usman Majid on Sunday said that he contest assembly polls as an independent candidate.

He said that he will bargain with the like-minded party in power for the best interests of Bandipora people in the upcoming Assembly Elections. Majid parted ways with Congress in 2019 to join Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party as its vice president.

However, in early August, Majid resigned from the Apni Party terming it necessary to achieve his "primary objectives.” Majid said he is in talks with regional parties, but he will not be a part of any pre-poll alliance and won't knock on those "doors with a begging bowl". He told Greater Kashmir that he will fight as an independent candidate. This, he said, has also been supported by the people of his area.

“I donot trust pre poll alliances. Politics is a dynamic thing, you don’t know who will ally with who, so I am staying away from it,” he said at a youth convention held at party office on Sunday.

However, he said, that if he is elected, he will decide about the alliance after consulting his workers which he said will be in the best interests of people.

While acknowledging the power of youth, Majid in his speech said that the youth overturned the mainstream and regional parties in recently held Lok Sabha elections. He was referring to the north Kashmir seat where imprisoned leader Er Rashid won a landslide victory, defeating JKNC vice president Omar Abdullah.