Jamaat-Backed Candidates Float New Political Party, To Contest Panchayat Elections In Jammu Kashmir

The new party 'Jammu and Kashmir Justice and Development Front (JDF)', will be officially launched in March.

Srinagar:Banned Jamaat-e-Islami-backed candidates have floated a new political party and are planning to contest the panchayat and municipal body elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Talat Majid, a former member of the banned JeI J&K, told ETV Bharat that the candidates will officially launch the party 'Jammu and Kashmir Justice and Development Front (JDF)', in March. "We will launch the party officially in March at a function in Srinagar. The JDF will contest panchayat and Urban Local Bodies," Talat told ETV Bharat.

Talat, who began his political innings with the Altaf Bukhari's Apni Party in October 2023, later contested the 2024 assembly elections as an independent candidate from the Pulwama assembly constituency. He said the candidates who contested the assembly elections held an introductory workers' convention in Kulgam district on Sunday.

Shamim Ahmad Thoker, who is the panel member of the banned organisation, said he will be the president of the new party, while Abdul Rehman Shalla from Baramulla will be its vice president and Sayar Ahmad Reshi general secretary.

“We held consultations with the senior members and have the consent of the jailed Jamaat-e-Islami leaders. When they were released on parole during assembly elections, they announced that they would accept the decisions of the panel,” Thoker told ETV Bharat.

Ten JeI-backed candidates contested the 2024 assembly elections after they were given a go-ahead by the Centre government in 2024. Except for one candidate Sayar Reshi, who contested the elections against communist leader M Y Tarigami, and got 25000 votes, all other nine candidates lost their deposits.

Thoker, who was the election in charge of the candidates, said the JDF wants mobilisation of the people and involve people at the grassroots against issues like drug addiction, environmental crisis and defunct drainage systems.

"We will support the government to fight for these issues, and will participate in all kinds of elections,” he said. Thoker was among the banned JeI members who held consultations with the central government and campaigned for the ten candidates in assembly elections.

JeI was banned on 28 February 2019, 14 days after the Pulwama attack. Most of its leaders are lodged in different prisons. Sayar Reshi, who gave a tough contest to Tarigami in Kulgam assembly constituency said that those people who want to work for the welfare of the public should join "our caravan".

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