Mehbooba Mufti files nomination from Anantnag-Rajouri LS seat

Anantnag (JK), Apr 18 (PTI) PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday filed nomination papers from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir which is going to polls in the third phase of elections on May 7.

Accompanied by several party leaders and hundreds of supporters, Mehbooba arrived at the office of Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, Syed Fakhruddin, who is the returning officer for the constituency, to file her papers.

Talking to reporters later, the former chief minister appealed to people not to boycott the polls as “this election is about the assault launched on dignity, identity and resources” of Jammu and Kashmir.

“I appeal to all people of Jammu and Kashmir that they should not boycott the elections. In south Kashmir, they are trying to enforce a boycott. Their conspiracies should be exposed. Vote for the candidate that you feel will raise the voice for oppressed people and for those who have been jailed,” she said.

The PDP president said this Lok Sabha election was not about developmental issues like electricity, water and roads.

“This election is not for ‘bijli, pani or sadak’. This election is for ending the assault that was launched after 2019 on our dignity, identity, assets and resources. It is not about PDP or NC or any other party. The issue right now is that Kashmir has been turned into an open air prison.

“Today all our resources are being snatched from us and an attempt is being made to turn us into bonded labourers. We will not allow this to happen. This land and jobs in this land belong to us. We will not allow attacks on our identity,” she added.

Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency will go to polls in the third phase of elections on May 7. Friday is the last date for filing of nominations in this constituency which was carved out from parts of Anantnag-Pulwama and Jammu-Poonch-Rajouri Lok Sabha seats following delimitation exercise carried out in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022.

With the BJP not expected to field a candidate and DPAP withdrawing Ghulam Nabi Azad from the race on Wednesday, a virtual showdown is expected between the PDP president and National Conference’s influential Gujjar leader Mian Altaf Ahmad.

Azad’s DPAP has fielded Mohammad Saleem Parray while Apni Party has named Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, who also filed his nomination papers on Thursday, as its candidate.