Ending the long suspense, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Vice President of National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah will contest the upcoming Assembly election from the Ganderbal constituency.
After the J&K special status was scrapped in 2019, Omar had vowed not to contest the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections till restoration of statehood.
Omar’s rival and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, had also pledged not to contest Assembly elections until statehood was restored.
On Tuesday, NC while releasing the names of the 32 candidates for the assembly election announced that Omar would contest from Ganderbal Constituency.
Ganderbal is part of the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat and has been traditionally a family bastion for the Abdullahs for decades. However, in 2002 Assembly election Omar lost to Qazi Mohammad Afzal of the PDP from Ganderbal.
Besides Omar, the other candidates announced by the party include Member Parliament Mian Altaf’s son Mian Mehar Ali, who would contest from Kangan.
The party announced that from Salman Ali Sagar would be the candidate from Hazratbal, Ali Mohammad Sagar from Khanyar, Shameema Firdous from Habba Kadal; Ahsan Pardesi from Lal Chowk; Mushtaq Guroo from Chanapora; Tanvir Sadiq from Zadibal and Mubarak Gul from Eidgah in Srinagar district.
The party’s candidates from Budgam district include Saif-Ud-Din Bhat from Khan Sahib; Abdul Raheem Rather from Char-I-Sharief and Ali Mohammad Dar from Chadoora.
In Kupwara district, the NC announced names of Javid Mirchal from Karnah, Mir Saifullah from Trehgam, Nasir Aslam Wani (Sogami) from Kupwara, Qaiser Jamsheed Lone from Lolab and Handwara Chowdary from Mohammad Ramzan.
The party candidates for Baramulla district include Irshad Rasool Kar from Sopore; Javid Ahmad Dar from Rafiabad; Sajad Shafi Uri from Uri, Javid Beigh from Baramulla, Farooq Ahmad Shah from Tangmarg and Javid Reyaz Bedar from Pattan.
Hilal Akbar Lone would be the party candidate from Sonawari and Nazir Gurezi from Gurez in Bandipora district.
The party’s candidates in Jammu region included Er. Khursheed from Gulab Ghar (ST); Yashu Vardhan Singh from Kalakote/Sunderbani; Surinder Chowdary from Nowshera; Javid Chowdary from Budhal (ST); Ajaz Ahmad Jan from Poonch Haveli; Javid Rana from Mendhar (ST) and Ajay Kumar Sadhotra from Jammu North.
