Srinagar- After indicating a potential alliance with Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party, Ghulam Nabi Azad, chairman Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) is reportedly gearing up to enter the electoral arena from the reconfigured Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency in south Kashmir, setting the stage for a highly contested election.
Bukhari, after his party announced its openness to negotiate an electoral alliance with similar-minded parties, is reportedly in contact with Azad, who established DPAP following his departure from the Congress.
Sources revealed that during a meeting held on Tuesday, the leaders engaged in extensive deliberations, analyzing feedback from both political and parliamentary spheres. The focus was on assessing the prevailing political scenario in Jammu and Kashmir and devising an effective election strategy.
The two parties might contest all five Lok Sabha seats together in case the alliance talks mature, sources said.
If reports are to be believed, Altaf Bukhari is likely to contest Lok Sabha Polls from Srinagar constituency, while Usman Majid, Vice President Jammu Kashmir Apni Party is likely to contest from Baramulla.
Notably, the recent delimitation has redrawn the Anantnag constituency with which Jammu division’s Poonch district and parts of the Rajouri have been merged. The Anantnag constituency will go to polls in the third phase on 7 May, but no political party has yet announced its candidate for the seat.
Sources said that PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is interested in contesting from Anantnag constituency and BJP is also making significant efforts to make inroads in the constituency after the government recently granted Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and 10% reservation in jobs to the Pahari community of Rajouri and Poonch who are in the voters list in considerable numbers.
Azad has already announced his trusted lieutenant GM Saroori as the DPAP candidate in Udhampur against Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh.
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