SRINAGAR: Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Saturday released its second list of 21 candidates for the Legislative Assembly polls scheduled later this year.
Party president Mehbooba Mufti released the names of candidates on June 14 at a press briefing.
The list of PDP candidates includes few new faces while the party has retained sitting MLAs in most of the constituencies.
Surprisingly the party has given mandate for Amirakadal Constituency to Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari, omitting the name of previous candidate Haji Parvez who played a key role in the victory of Tariq Hamid Karra.
Among other new faces are two former Trade Union leaders Muhammad Khurshid Alam (Khanyar) and Muntazir Mohiudin (Budgam).
Sitting MLA and former minister Molvi Iftikar Hussain Ansari would contest from his traditional Pattan seat.
Muhammad Dilawar Mir would contest from Rafiabad, Abdul Rehman Veeri from Bijbehara, Sartaj Madni from Devsar and Abdul Gafar Sofi from Home Shali Bugh.
PDP has retained most of the previous candidates including Qazi Muhammad Afzal (Ganderbal), Ghulam Nabi Hanjura (Charar-e-Sharif), Nizamudin Bhat (Bandipore), Dr Shafi Wani (Beeru), Saifudin Bhat (Khansaheb), Asiya Naqash (Hazratbal), Bashir Ahmed Mir (Kangan).
As per the party list, Abdul Rahim Rather will contest from Kokernag, Faqir Chand Baghat from Bishna, Sardar Amreek Singh Reen from Gandhi Nagar, Fayaz Ahmed Mir from Kupwara, Syed Farooq Andrabi from Duroo Shahabad and former IGP crime Raja Ajaz Ali who joined the party a day ago will contest from Uri.
Earlier the party had released the list of 25 candidates.
BHAN TO JOIN PDP:
Senior Congress leader and a prominent Kashmiri Pandit lawyer Ashok Bhan has called on PDP president Mehbooba Mufti in Delhi last week.
The two leaders held a long meeting discussing prospects of winning over Pandit votes for the party and bridging differences between the minority community and the PDP.
KNS quoting sources said that Bhan is likely to join PDP in coming days.
Bhan was member of Ram Jethmalani led Kashmir Committee that paved the way of dialogue between the previous NDA government of Manmohan Singh with the Hurriyat leaders.
When contacted, Bhan confirmed his meeting with Ms. Mufti. I met Ms Mufti and am in touch with Mufti Saheb as well.
When asked was he joining the party, Bhan replied in affirmative saying that he will take a final decision this week.
The PDP is in search of a Pandit face to widen its base amongst Pandits ahead of the forthcoming assembly elections.
Buoyed by its performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, where it romped home all three seats from Kashmir Valley and also the fact that it got considerable number of Pandit votes from migrant camps, the party is now roping in some credible Pandit faces to consolidate its base within Pandit community, besides other communities. (KNS)
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