As the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections draw closer, both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have released their lists of candidates for the second phase of polling, which is scheduled for September 25, 2024.
The Congress announced six candidates for this phase. Among the key names, JKPCC Chief Tariq Hameed Karra will contest from the Central Shalteng constituency. Other candidates include Mumtaz Khan for the Reasi seat, Bhupender Jamwal from Mata Vaishno Devi, Iftikhar Ahmed for Rajouri, Shabbir Ahmed Khan from Thannamandi, and Mohammad Shahnawaz Choudhary from Surankote. The party, which is contesting the elections in alliance with the National Conference, had earlier released a list of nine candidates for the first phase.
The BJP also disclosed its list of six candidates for the second phase. Ravinder Raina is set to contest from the Nowshera seat, while Engineer Aijaz Hussain will represent the party from Srinagar’s Lal Chowk constituency. Other BJP candidates include Arif Raja (Eidgah), Ali Muhammad Mir (Khan Sahib), Zahid Hussain (Charar-e-Sharief), and Vibodh Gupta (Rajouri).
These announcements come as both parties gear up for a tough electoral battle in the region. The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are being conducted in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1, with vote counting scheduled for October 8.
