Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 10: One hundred and twenty three candidates including seven sitting Ministers apart from several incumbent MLAs were left in the fray as last date for withdrawal of candidatures for Phase-I of polling on 15 seats of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions ended this evening while 15 candidates today entered electoral fray in nine Assembly seats of Jammu region for second phase of polling.
Already faced with serious dissensions in several Assembly segments, the BJP today suffered another blow when one of its prominent leader in Ramban-Girdhari Lal retired from the contest and joined National Conference in presence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Girdhari Lal’s candidature had been mired into controversy as BJP president Jugal Kishore had issued him the mandate first even without release of list by the party high command, which had cleared name of Neelam Langeh for the seat.
With BJP adopting Langeh and dumping Girdhari Lal, the latter today joined the National Conference and announced that he was withdrawing from the contest in favour of NC candidate from Ramban (Reserve) seat Dr Chaman Lal, who had won the seat in 2002 but lost it to Congress nominee Ashok Bhagat in 2008.
Ghulam Rasool Tantray of RPIA (Banihal), Lakhmi Chand, an Independent (Inderwal), Bankey Lal (Independent-Bhaderwah) and Haji Mohammad Ibrahim (Independent-Nobra) withdrew their nomination papers on last date for withdrawal of first phase of polling.
With this, 60 candidates have been left in fray for six Assembly constituencies of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts in Jammu region while 18 candidates would try their luck for four seats of Ladakh region. A total of 15 Assembly segments-six in Jammu region, four in Ladakh and five in Kashmir will go to polls in first phase on November 25.
Four sitting Ministers were left in the fray in Jammu and Ladakh regions including Works Minister Abdul Mujeed Wani (Doda-Congress), Urban Development Minister Rigzin Jora (Leh-Congress), Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo (Kishtwar-NC) and Vikar Rasool Wani (Banihal-Congress).
Three Ministers were also in fray for first phase of polling in Kashmir including Forest Minister Mian Altaf (Kangan-NC), Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone (Sonawari-NC) and Nazir Ahmad Gurezi (Gurez-NC).
Sitting legislators-Ghulam Mohammad Saroori (Congress-Inderwal), Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mohammad Sharief Niaz (Congress-Bhaderwah), Ashok Kumar Bhagat (Congress-Ramban) and Nizam-ud-Din Bhat (PDP-Bandipora) were also in the race for November 25 polling.
A total of 13 candidates will be involved in battle of ballots for Bhaderwah Assembly segment, 11 for Doda, 12 for Inderwal, 10 for Kishtwar, eight for Ramban, six for Banihal, four each for Kargil and Zanskar, six for Nobra and two for Leh.
Leh has lowest number of two candidates and Bhaderwah with highest number of 13 in Jammu and Ladakh region.
Meanwhile, for second phase of polling on December 2, the notification for which was issued on November 7, 15 candidates today filed their nomination papers taking total number of candidates to 17. November 14 is last date for filing of nomination papers for second day.
Four candidates filed nomination papers today for Gulabgarh Assembly segment of Reasi district. They included Abdul Gani Malik (National Conference), Mumtaz Ahmad Khan (Congress), Shafiq-ur-Rehman (PDP) and Khalid Jehangir (covering candidate for NC).
Gani Malik is three times MLA from Gulabgarh and will be seeking fourth straight term while Mumtaz Khan is brother of Congress sitting Minister of State for Revenue Aijaz Ahmad Khan, who is party candidate from neighbouring Gool-Arnas segment.
Aijaz Khan also filed his papers today for Gool-Arnas segment as Congress candidate in a bid to score hat-trick as he has won the seat twice. Other candidates, who joined the fray for Gool-Arnas seat today, were Shiban and Ms Sonica Venkashif (both BSP) and Arjun Singh (GAP). NJP candidate Kuldeep Dubey alias Mangu Shah has already filed papers for Gool-Arnas.
In Chenani (Reserve) Assembly segment, BJP candidate Dina Nath Bhagat and sitting Congress MLA Krishan Chander Bhagat filed papers while PDP candidate Sukhdev Sharma joined fray from Udhampur seat. No nomination papers have so far been filed from Ramnagar and Reasi seats.
In Poonch district, which is also going to polls in second phase, PDP candidate Shah Mohammad Tantray filed his nomination papers as PDP candidate while Shamim Ahmad joined the fray as covering candidate of the party.
Aiyaz Ahmad Mughal filed his papers as Independent candidate for Surankote while Mohammad Tariq Khan joined the fray as JKNPP candidate for Mendhar.
Almost all the candidates took out massive rallies before filing nomination papers.
Official source said in Gurez Assembly constituency, 4 candidates are in the fray including Faqir Mohammad Khan (Congress), Mohammad Ismail Lone (PDP), Nazir Ahmed Khan Gurezi (NC) and Ghulam Rasool Bhat (Independent).
In Bandipora Assembly constituency, 13 candidates are in the fray including Javid Ahmed Shah (BSP), Abdul Rehman (BJP), Abdullah Wani (NC), Usman Abdul Majid (Congress), Nizam-u-Din Bhat (PDP), Mohammad Ismail Bhat (JKPC), Mohammad Iqbal Zargar (All India Forward Bloc), Manzoor Ahmad Baba (All J&K Kissan Mazdoor Party), Sheikh Waseem Bari (Independent), Ghulam Ahmad Bhat (Independent), Mohammad Shafi Khan (Independent), Prof Mohammad Shafi Mir (Independent) and Nazir Ahmad Malik (Independent).
In Sonawari Assembly segment, 7 candidates are in the fray including Imtiyaz Ahmed Parray (Congress), Ghulam Rasool Malik (Panthers Party), Mohammad Akbar Lone (NC), Yasir Reshi (PDP), Qawamudin Sheikh (People’s Conference), Ghulam Mohammad Parray (Independent) and Nazir Ahmad Wani (Independent).
In Kangan Assembly seat, 10 candidates are in fray including Ajaz Ahmad Sheikh (Congress), Mian Altaf Ahmad (NC), Bashir Ahmad Mir (JKPDP), Abdul Rashid Ganaie (JKNPP), Mohammad Sultan Lone (BSP), Nazir Ahmad Raina (BJP), Shabir Ahmad Mir (All J&K Kisan Mazdor Party), Mushtaq Ahmad Shah (J&K People’s Conference), Showkat Hussain Khan (Independent) and Ghulam Hassan Rather (Independent).
In Ganderbal Assembly seat, 13 candidates are in fray including Ishfaq Ahmed Sheikh (NC), Sheikh Abdul Rasheed (BJP), Ali Mohammad Baba (JKNPP), Qazi Mohammad Afzal (PDP), Mohammad Yousuf Bhat (Congress), Abdul Majeed Dhobi (J&K People’s Conference), Bilal Ahmad Khanday (Independent) , Javed Ahmad Khan (Independent), Syed Ali Mohammad Shah (Independent), Sheikh Ghulam Ahmad (Independent), Gh Rasool Mir (Independent), Nazir Ahmad Lone (Independent) and Hilal Ahmad Dar (Independent).
In Nobra Assembly constituency, 6 candidates are in the fray including Stanzin Delik (BJP), Tashi Gyalson (JKPDP), Tsetan Namgyal (JKNC), Deldan Namgail (Congress), Tsewang Rigzin (Independent) and Nissar Hussain (Independent).
In Leh seat, only two Candidates are in the fray including Cherring Dorjay (BJP) and Nawang Rigzin (Congress).
In Kargil seat, 4 candidates are in the fray including Asgar Ali Karbalaie (Congress), Abdul Aziz (BJP), Anayat Ali (JKPDP) and Dr. Kacho Mohammad Hussain (NC).
In Zanskar Assembly seat, 4 candidates are in the fray including Stanzin Lakpa (BJP), Ghulam Raza (Congress), Ghulam Mohammad (PDP) and Syed Mohammad Baqir Rizvi (Independent).
In Kishtwar Assembly constituency, 10 candidates are in the fray including Aijaz Hussain (Nationalist Congress Party), Des Raj (BSP), Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo (NC), Sunil Kumar Sharma (BJP), Firdous Ahmed Tak (PDP), Nek Ram (Congress), Mohammad Amin Bhat [Janata Dal (Secular)], Jaswant Singh (Independent), Farooq Ahmad (Independent) and Choudhary Gulzar Ahmed (Independent).
In Inderwal Assembly constituency, 12 candidates are in the fray including Imtiaz Ahmad (NPP), Jyoti Prakash (BSP), Salam Din (NC), Tariq Hussain Keen (BJP), Abdul Majeed Batt (PDP), Ghulam Mohammad Saroori (Congress), Tanveer Hussain (Rashtriya Krantikari Samajwadi Party), Jaber Singh (Independent), Shanwaz Ahmad (Independent), Ashaq Hussain (Independent), Abdul Majeed Ganai (Independent) and Farooq Ahmad Keen (Independent).
In Doda Assembly constituency, 11 candidates are in the fray including Chunni Lal (BSP), Khalid Najib Suharwardy (NC), Shakti Raj (BJP), Shahab-ul-Haq (PDP), Abdul Majid Wani (Congress), Daya Krishan (Independent), Rajinder Singh (Independent), Farooq Ahmed Dar (Independent), Mohammad Ali Shokeen (Independent), Mohammad Yousaf (Independent) and Nuzhat Iqbal Zargar (Independent).
In Bhadarwah Assembly seat, 13 candidates are in the fray including Bhoori Singh (Nationalist Congress Party), Daleep Singh (BJP), Riaz Anayatullah (NC), Sanjay Kumar (BSP), Sheikh Mehboob Iqbal (PDP), Mohammad Sharief Niaz (Congress), Narinder Kant (CPI), Nirej Singh Manhas (JKNPP), Sheikh Mohammad Shafi (SP), Om Parkash (Independent), Reyaz Ahmed Zargar (Independent), Dr. Kuldeep Singh Charak (Independent) and Mehraj Din (Independent).
In Ramban (Reserve) Assembly constituency, 8 candidates are in the fray including Ashok Kumar (Congress), Prithvi Raj (BSP), Dr Chaman Lal (NC), Suraish Kumar (JKNPP), Swami Raj (PDP), Neelam Kumar Langeh (BJP), Amrit Barsha (SP) and Girdhari Lal (Independent).
In Banihal constituency, 6 candidates are in the fray including Bashir Ahmed Runiyal (PDP), Sajad Shaheen (NC), Sewa Singh Bali (NPP), Showket Javeed Daing (BJP), Mohd Ali (BSP) and Vikar Rasool Wani (Congress).
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