Candidates thronged the office of returning officers on Tuesday to file nomination papers for the first phase of the Assembly elections.
As many as 279 candidates have filed nomination across 24 constituencies in seven districts, according to a statement issued by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer on Tuesday night.
As the UT gears up to witness the first Assembly poll since the abrogation of Article 370, eight seats would go to polls in the Jammu region and 16 in Kashmir.
A maximum of 72 candidates have filed nomination from Anantnag district, followed by 55 in Pulwama and 28 each in Shopian and Kulgam districts. Meanwhile, 41 candidates have filed nomination in Doda district, 32 in Kishtwar and 23 in Ramban.
In the Kashmir valley, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti would be one of the prominent contenders during the first phase. While Mehbooba has stuck to her pledge of not contesting polls till the restoration of statehood, her daughter will make her electoral debut from the Bijbehara constituency.
Other known faces who are fighting elections from South Kashmir include former NC MP Hasnain Masoodi, senior BJP leader Sofi Yusuf, top Congress leader GA Mir and MY Tarigami.
After jailed leader Engineer Rashid recently won the Lok Sabha election from North Kashmir by defeating Omar Abdullah, jailed cleric and separatist leader Sarjan Ahmad Wagay (alias Sarjan Barkati) will contest the Assembly polls from South Kashmir’s Zainapora Assembly seat. His family filed the nomination papers on his behalf on Tuesday.
Last year, the State Investigation Agency (SIA), Kashmir, had arrested Barkati for his alleged involvement in “orchestrating an extensive fund-raising campaign through crowd funding”. The agency had later said that these funds were misused for money laundering and to promote radicalism.
Barkati, shot to prominence during the extensive protest that erupted after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016. The SIA had said that Barkati was a central figure in orchestrating large-scale protests, rallies and clashes with the security forces in 2016. More than 30 FIRs were registered against him in various police stations of the Valley. On Tuesday, Barkati’s daughter said she was hopeful people will vote for her father.
Meanwhile, some of the political leaders who were denied mandate by their own parties, filed nominations as Independents in Valley on Tuesday.
Candidates could file nomination for Phase 1 of the UT Assembly poll till 3 pm on August 27. The nomination papers will be scrutinised by returning officers on August 28, while the candidates can withdraw their names by or before 3 pm on August 30.
Jailed cleric to fight from Zainapora
Jailed cleric and separatist leader Sarjan Ahmad Wagay (alias Sarjan Barkati) will contest the Assembly polls from South Kashmir’s Zainapora Assembly seat. His family filed the nomination papers on his behalf on Tuesday.
