Congress names six candidates for 2nd phase of J&K polls

New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) The Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Congress on Monday finalised the list of 24 candidates for the second and third phase of Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir scheduled to be held on September 25 and October 1, respectively.  

According to a notification issued by Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, the following six candidates will contest the second phase of the Assembly elections to be held on September 25:

* Tariq Hameed Karra (Central Shalteng)

* Mumtaz Khan (Reasi)

* Bhupender Jamwal (Shri Mata Vaishno Devi)

* Iftkar Ahmed (Rajouri, ST)

* Shabir Ahmad Khan (Thannamandi, ST)

* Mohd Shahnawaz Choudhary (Surankote, ST)

The names of candidates for the third phase are yet to be announced. 

Talking to reporters after the four-hour long meeting of the CEC here, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Tariq Hameed Karra said that discussion on the 29 seats going to the polls in these two phases was held threadbare.

“We were asked to share more details about one out of the six seats going to the polls in the second phase and about five out of the 23 seats where polling will be held in the third phase. The list of candidates for 24 seats has been finalised, including six for the second phase and 18 for the third phase. Details of the seats sought by the CEC will be shared by the evening," Karra said.

The Congress has entered into a pre-poll alliance with the National Conference for the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

Accordingly, the National Conference will contest 52 seats, while the Congress will field candidates in 31 seats.

Besides, there will be a friendly contest in the five seats of Nagrota, Bhaderwah, Doda and Banihal in Jammu division, and Sopore in the Valley.

Both parties have left one seat for the CPI-M in the Valley and one for the Panthers Party in the Jammu division.

The Awami Itihad Party (AIP) headed by incarcerated Lok Sabha member Engineer Rashid is also expected to release its list of candidates on Monday.

The party has already announced that Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh, the brother of Engineer Rashid, will contest the Langate Assembly seat in Kupwara district.

Engineer Rashid represented the seat twice in the past.

--IANS

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