Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 29: Thirteen candidates were left in fray for Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary constituency after a woman candidate opted out of the contest on last date for withdrawal of nomination papers while election process for Anantnag-Pulwama Lok Sabha seat was set into motion today with the issuance of notification by the Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag.
Official sources said Kanchan Sharma, a covering candidate of Bharatiya Bahujan Party today withdrew her nomination papers from Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Jatinder Singh, who happened to be the Returning Officer for Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat.
Today was last day for withdrawal of nomination papers for Udhampur-Doda parliamentary constituency, which would go to polls on April 17 in second phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
With withdrawal of nomination papers by Kanchan Sharma, 13 candidates have been left in the fray for Udhampur Lok Sabha seat.
The contestants included Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad (Congress), Dr Jitendra Singh (BJP), Mohammad Arshad Malik (PDP), Prof Bhim Singh (NPP), Dharam Pal Balgotra (BSP), Anil Gupta (JKDF-Independent), Amrit Barsha (Samajwadi Party), Jagdish Kumar (Jai Mahabharath Party), Sham Lal (All J&K Kissan Mazdoor Party), Girdhari Lal (Bharatiya Bahujan Party), Anil Khajuria, Bansi Lal and Nazakat Hussain, all Independents.
Worthwhile to mention here that there were 19 candidates in fray for Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat, which would go to polls on April 10.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission today issued notification for Anantnag Parliamentary constituency in Kashmir, which will go to polls on April 24.
According to the notification, the last date for filing of nominations for the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat is April 5 while the scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on April 7.
The last date for withdrawal of nominations is April 9.
The Anantnag Lok Sabha seat — spread over four districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian -– has 12.72 lakh voters, including 6,01,688 female voters, who are eligible to cast their votes at 1,615 polling stations to be set up in the constituency.
Ruling National Conference candidate and sitting Lok Sabha member from Anantnag Mehboob Beg will lock horns with Opposition People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti in Anantnag-Pulwama Parliamentary seat along with others.
Aam Aadmi Party has pitted Tanveer Maqbool Dar, son of former Union Minister Mohammad Maqbool Dar from the constituency.
After Anantnag Srinagar-Budgam Lok Sabha seat would go to polls on April 30 in fourth phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir. While in fifth phase of the State, Baramulla-Kupwara and Ladakh seats would have elections on May 7.
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