J&K polls: Congress announces first list of 9 candidates; seat-sharing deal with NC
While Congress will contest in 32 of the 90 seats, NC will contest in 50 and Panthers Party and CPI(M) on one each; a ‘friendly contest’ will happen between Congress and NC in six seats
The Congress on Monday (August 26) issued its first list of nine candidates for the three-phase assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
The nine candidates have been announced for constituencies spread across the Chenab Valley's Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts and Kashmir division's Kulgam, Anantnag and Pulwama districts. All these assembly segments will go to polls in the first phase, on September 18.
Former PCC chiefs in fray
Former PCC chiefs Ghulam Ahmed Mir, Vikar Rasool Wani and Peerzada Mohammed Syed have been fielded from Dooru, Anantnag and Banihal constituencies respectively. Syed, a veteran Kashmiri leader who served as minister in various governments of the erstwhile state, had briefly quit the Congress in August 2022 to join Ghulam Nabi Azad's DPAP. He returned to the Congress in January last year.
The party also fielded Surinder Singh Channi from the Tral seat, Amanullah Mantoo from Devsar, Shaikh Zafarullah from Inderwal, Nadeem Sharief from Bhadarwah, Sheikh Riyaz from Doda and Pradeep Kumar Bhagat from Doda West.
Seat-sharing arrangement
The party also announced a formal seat-sharing formula with National Congress (NC), CPI(M) and Panther's Party for the Assembly polls. Congress will contest on 32 of the 90 Assembly seats, NC on 50 seats while the CPI(M) and Panthers Party will field candidates in one seat each. On the six remaining seats, Congress and NC have agreed for a friendly contest as both parties were adamant on contesting these seats.
Both NC and Congress will field candidates in Sopore (Baramulla, north Kashmir), Banihal, Bhaderwah, Doda, Devsar (all in the Chenab Valley) and Nagrota (in Jammu).
The allies made the announcement at a joint press conference at NC president Farooq Abdullah's residence in Srinagar after day-long negotiations.
The NC had declared 18 candidates earlier in the day.
Common minimum programme
The NC and Congress will also draft a common minimum programme for the polls.
The first phase of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on September 18, the second on September 25 and the third on October 1. The counting of votes will be undertaken on October 4.