With the election dates of JK announced by the ECI, the ruling national conference is all set to release its 4th and final list of party candidates wherein the turf of chief minister Omar Abdullah to be announced aswell.
Sources in the national conference told KNS that the 4th list of the party is in the offing and that some important names would be declared as the party candidates from various assembly segments of Kashmir valley.The party has earlier released three of its lists wherein the turf of the chief minister was not mentioned. Eyes were all set on the forth list but the September floods acted as the spoilsport- compelling the party leadership to defer the same.
Now when the poll dates have been announced from November 25, this ruling party has geared up for the challenge it summoned, according to sources, the party leadership to finalize the 4th list. Sources said that Omar Abdullah will contest from Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal which has served as his earlier turf also. Syed Mohammad Akhoon will be given the ticket from Hazratbal. The constituency was in 2008 contested by NC patron Dr Farooq Abdullah and later by NC’s additional general secretary Dr Shiekh Mustafa Kamal. As Dr. Farooq has decided not to contest the state elections this time, the mandate for Hazratbal has been given to Syed Mohammad Akhoon.
Omar’s uncle Dr Mustafa Kamal will contest from his hometown constituency Tangmarg. In this region of north Kashmir, Kamal has to lock horns with the DPN chief Ghulam Hassan Mir- against whom the state congress has not fielded any candidate, rather Congress’s support has been assured in Mir’s favor.
From North Kashmir’s Pattan, the party has decided to accord mandate to Aga Syed Mehmood. Aga has to enter into tough fight with PDP’s Molvi Imran Ansari who was given party’s ticket from the turf after the demise of his father- Late Molvi Iftikhaar Husain Ansari.Similarly, from Zadibal area of Srinagar, the party has issued mandate to its sitting MLA Peer Afaq Ahmad. Afaq also has to witness tough fight against Molvi Abid Ansari who is the bother of the known shia cleric Late Molvi Iftikhaar Husain Ansari. (KNS)