Many prominent political faces from Jammu and Kashmir will be put to a poll test in the second phase of elections for the 26 Assembly segments on Wednesday (September 25, 2024).
Also read: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections LIVE
The fate of former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah will be decided by voters of Ganderbal and Budgam constituencies, which saw cut-throat campaigning in the run-up to polls. Mr. Abdullah will face the highest 16 contestants in Ganderbal and seven in Budgam constituency. With Mr. Abdullah losing the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year to jailed candidate Sheikh Abdul Rashid or Engineer Rashid from the Baramulla constituency and NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah deciding against contesting elections due to health reasons, it is vital for junior Abdullah to win a seat and have a presence in the legislature in the 90-member Assembly of the union territory.
Also read | In J&K’s Pir Panjal valley, BJP’s biggest bet will be put to test
In Srinagar district, Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra’s political fate will be sealed in ballot boxes from the Central Shaltengh constituency and he stands against 12 candidates. His candidature is supported by ally NC.
J&K Apni Party founder Altaf Bukhari is contesting from the Chanapora Assembly segment for the first time and will face a challenge from seven other contestants, including the NC and the PDP.
Sugra Barkati, 17, the daughter of jailed cleric and contestant Sarjan Ahmad Wagay from south Kashmir’s Shopian has upended the poll calculations of major political parties, including former legislator Nazir Khan, in the Beerwah constituency. Ms. Barkati’s street rallies and emotional speeches about her father and mother’s ongoing detention have managed to galvanise significant support from voters, especially women, in the constituency.
In the Jammu region, BJP State president Ravinder Raina will seek re-election from the Nowshera seat, which is close to the Line of Control (LoC). He will face a tough competition from the NC’s Surinder Kumar Choudhary and the PDP’s Haq Nawaz.
Former minister and ex-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Chowdhary Zulfikar Ali, a new entrant into the BJP, will face a poll test from the Budhal constituency in the Pir Panjal valley. His fight is against nephew Javed Iqbal Choudhary of the NC and the PDP’s Guftar Ahmad. NC’s Mr. Javed Iqbal is the son of Mr. Ali’s elder sister and proved his electoral sway when he won the Block Development Council (BDC) elections from Kotranka in 2020. Mr. Iqbal’s wife Shazia Kouser too won the District Development Council (DDC) elections from the constituency.
A total of 239 candidates are in the fray in the second phase, who include 233 male and six female candidates.
Published - September 24, 2024 10:52 pm IST
