J&K polls: Cong releases phase 2 list of 6 candidates, fields Karra from Central Shalteng

New Delhi, Sep 2 (PTI) The Congress on Monday released its second list of six candidates for the upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, fielding JKPCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra from Central Shalteng.

The list was released soon after Congress’ Central Election Committee (CEC) met here to finalise names of candidates for the elections, which the party is contesting in alliance with the National Conference.

Apart from J-K Pradesh Congress Committee chief Karra, the party has fielded Mumtaz Khan from Reasi, Bhupender Jamwal from Mata Vaishno Devi, Iftikhar Ahmed from Rajouri (ST), Shabbir Ahmed Khan from Thannamandi (ST) and Mohammad Shahnawaz Choudhary from Surankote (ST).

These constituencies will go to polls in the second phase of the three-phase assembly elections.

The total number of candidates declared by the party is now 15.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, general secretary in-charge (organisation) K C Venugopal, Karra, Jammu and Kashmir screening committee chief Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and senior leader Salman Khurshid, among others, attended the meeting at the AICC headquarters here.

The National Conference and the Congress have finalised the seat-sharing formula and will contest 51 and 32 seats, respectively. There will be a friendly contest on a few seats.

“The screening committee meeting that was held yesterday, for about four to four and a half hours, discussed the second phase and the third phase. With the notification for the second phase issued, our emphasis was on the second phase, so that all the seats are cleared in the CEC meeting today…today also we discussed both the second phase as well as the third phase,” Karra told reporters after the meeting.

Six seats of the second phase and 23 seats out of 40 of the third phase were discussed at the CEC meeting, he said.

“The seats in the second phase have been cleared, except for one seat for which the CEC has asked for some information, which we will provide to them by this evening. “So far as the 23 seats of the third phase is concerned, they are asking for further information for five or six seats, but we requested them that instead of calling the CEC again…we will forward it to the (party) president’s office and the president has the prerogative, authority to take that decision on his own,” Karra said.

“So, we discussed 29 seats today, out of which we have taken a final decision on 23 seats, but at this time we will declare names for only the second phase,” he added.

Last week, the Congress had issued its first list of nine candidates for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, fielding party general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir from Dooru and former JKPCC chief Vikar Rasool Wani from Banihal.

The party also fielded Surinder Singh Channi from the Tral seat, Amanullah Mantoo from Devsar, Peerzada Mohammad Syed from Anantnag, Shaikh Zafarullah from Inderwal, Nadeem Sharief from Bhadarwah, Sheikh Riyaz from Doda and Pradeep Kumar Bhagat from Doda West.

The Jammu and Kashmir elections will be held in three phases — September 18, September 25 and October 1 — followed by counting of votes on October 8.