Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) and the Indian National Congress (INC) have announced their candidates for the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024, following the finalization of a seat-sharing arrangement on Monday.
The two parties, which have formed a pre-poll alliance, will jointly contest 83 seats, with both sides fielding candidates separately in a ‘friendly’ contest in five others. NC's list features prominent figures such as Retired Justice Hasnain Masoodi for Pampore and former Minister Sakina Ittoo for D.H. Pora. Meanwhile, the INC has nominated senior leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir for Dooru and Vikar Rasool Wani for Banihal.
According to NC's list, Retired Justice Hasnain Masoodi will contest from Pampore, while Mohammad Khalil Bandh has been nominated for Pulwama. Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Mir will represent Rajpora, and Showkat Hussain Ganie has been selected for Zainpora. In Shopian, Sheikh Mohammad Rafi will stand as the NC candidate.
While Peerzada Feroze Ahmad will contest from Devsar, Chowdary Zaffer Ahmad will represent Larnoo, and Abdul Majeed Larmi has been nominated for Anantnag West. Dr. Bashir Ahmad Veeri will run from Srigufara - Bijbehara, with Reyaz Ahmad Khan contesting from Anantnag East.
The party has chosen Altaf Ahmad Kaloo for Pahalgam, and Mehboob Iqbal will stand in Bhaderwah. Khalid Najeeb Soharwardy has been nominated for Doda, and Arjun Singh Raju will represent Ramban. Sajad Shaheen will contest from Banihal, Sajad Kichloo from Kishtwar, and Pooja Thokur will run from Pader-Nagsani.
Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress (INC) has also announced its candidates for several key constituencies. Surinder Singh Channi will contest from Tral, while Amanullah Mantoo has been nominated for Devsar. Ghulam Ahmad Mir has been chosen to represent Dooru, and Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed will run from Anantnag.
In Inderwal, Sheikh Zaffarullah will stand as the Congress candidate. Nadeem Sharief has been selected for Bhaderwah, while Sheikh Riyaz will represent Doda. Dr. Pradeep Singh Baghat has been nominated for Doda West, and Vikar Rasool Wani will contest from Banihal. Both parties will face a test in some constituencies where they have decided to engage in friendly contests.
In Devsar, NC's Peerzada Feroze Ahmad will go head-to-head with INC's Amanullah Mantoo. A similar contest will unfold in Bhaderwah, where NC's Mehboob Iqbal will compete against INC's Nadeem Sharief.
Banihal will see NC's Sajad Shaheen pitted against INC's Vikar Rasool Wani, while in Doda, NC's Khalid Najeeb Soharwardy will face off against INC's Sheikh Riyaz. Despite these friendly contests, both parties are committed to maintaining the overall unity of their alliance.
NC President Dr. Farooq Abdullah and senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal emphasized the alliance's commitment to presenting a united front against their common political adversaries, particularly the BJP. Despite the friendly contests, leaders from both parties expressed confidence in their ability to work together and defeat communal forces under the 'INDIA' Alliance banner.
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