Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Nov 19: The Election Commission today issued notification for the fourth phase of the five-phased Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir for 18 constituencies going to polls on December 14.
The fourth phase will be the last one for Kashmir Valley where 16 Assembly segments spread over three districts of Srinagar, Anantnag and Shopian will go to polls. The electorate in two seats in Samba district of Jammu region will also vote in the fourth phase.
The constituencies for which the notification was issued today include all the eight in Srinagar – Hazratbal, Zadibal, Idgah, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Amirakadal, Sonawar and Batamaloo, six in Anantnag – Anantnag, Doru, Kokernag, Shangus, Bijbehara and Pahalgam and two in Shopian – Wachi and Shopian in Kashmir Valley and Samba and Vijaypur in Samba district of Jammu region.
The last date for filing nominations is November 26, while the scrutiny of nomination papers would be held on November 27.
The last date for withdrawal of nomination is on November 29. Polling will be held on December 14 while counting of votes will be taken up on December 23.
On very first day of notification for fourth phase, PDP patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today filed nomination papers for Anantnag seat.
Three candidates filed nomination papers for Vijaypur Assembly constituency of Samba district.
They included Chander Prakash Ganga (BJP), Manjit Singh (Congress) and Harmesh Singh Slathia (PDP).
Vijaypur seat is presently held by NC leader Surjit Singh Slathia, former Minister. He had won the seat in 1996 but Manjit Singh had wrested it in 2002. Slathia had, however, regained the seat in 2008.
Meanwhile, PDP patron and former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad, was among 36 candidates who filed their nomination papers today while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is filing his nominations from Beerwah constituency of Budgam tomorrow.
Thirty six candidates filed their nomination papers from 15 Assembly constituencies of Baramulla, Budgam and Pulwama in Kashmir valley so far taking total number of nominations to 57. These constituencies are voting on December 9 in the third phase of polls.
PDP patron and former Chief Minister who is seeking re-election from Anantnag filed his nomination before the Returning Officer Anantnag today where the notification for the filing of nominations in the fourth phase of polls was issued today only. Anantnag is going to vote on December 14.
Mufti is seeking a fourth term is the Assembly. He was first elected to the House in 1985 from RS Pura and later from Pahalgam in 2004 when he was the Chief Minister of the State.
The former CM won from the Anantnag Assembly segment in 2008 by defeating National Conference (NC) candidate Mirza Mehboob Beg by a margin of 4,891 votes. Sayeed polled 12,439 votes while 7,548 votes were cast in Beg’s favour. Beg last week joined PDP by pulling out from the race.
Mufti after filing his nomination said the “divisive” agenda of BJP and its allies in the State could be counter-checked only through a decisive vote.
“This election is a challenge not only to prevent the divisive and frenzied elements from causing any harm to JK’s special status, but safeguarding the State’s unique constitutional and pluralistic character by establishing new bonding between the communities and regions,” Mufti said. He urged people to offset this “new devious challenge” unitedly through democratic means.
Meanwhile, in the Central Kashmir district of Budgam, nine candidates filed their nomination papers from five Assembly constituencies.
From Budgam two candidates Fayaz Ahmad Dar and People’s Conference candidate Mohammad Kamal Malik filed their nominations today.
In Chadoora, an NC candidate Ali Mohammad Dar filed his nomination papers today.
In Beerwah where from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is filing his nomination papers tomorrow, two candidates of PDP Dr Shafi Wani and Bashir Ahmad Beg filed their nominations.
From Charar-e-Sharif NC stalwart, Abdul Rahim Rather and Independent candidate Nazir Ahmad Rather, filed their nominations today.
From Khan Sahib two NC candidates Manzoor Ahmad Wani and Mohammad Yusuf Wani filed their nominations today.
From Gulmarg two candidates, Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir and Mohammad Akram Mir filed their nominations today.
From Baramulla four candidates Javed Hussain Beg of PDP, Ghulam Hassan Rahi of NC, Mohammad Maqbool Mir, Independent and Altaf Jamal Lone, independent filed their nominations today.
NC senior leader and MP Mohammad Shafi Uri also filed his nomination papers from Uri today.
From Rafiabad, two candidates Abdul Gani Vakil of Congress and Khursheed Ahmad Khan filed their nominations papers today.
From Sopore, four candidates Abdul Rashid Dar of Congress, Muzaffar Lone of NPP, Shabir Ahmad Dar, Independent and Irshad Rasool Kar, Independent filed their nominations today.
In Pattan two candidates Riyaz Ahmad Sheikh of Congress and Bashir Ahmad Gania, independent filed their nominations today.
In Tral two candidates, Mohammad Ashraf Bhat of NC and Abdul Rashid Dar of AIP filed their nominations today.
From Pampore, four candidates Zahoor Ahmad Mir of PDP, Yasir Ali Abbas Masoodi of NC, Mohammad Anwar of NC and Mohammad Iqbal Sofi, independent filed their nominations today.
From Rajpora, three candidates Riyaz Ahmad Khawar, Ghulam Nabi Nillora and Mohammad Abdullah Dar, all Independents filed their nominations today.
From Pulwama two candidates Bashir Ahmad Magray of Congress and Bashir Ahmad Malik, independent candidates filed their nominations today.
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