J-K polls: Congress names nine candidates in first list after NC alliance

Congress and the National Conference (NC) reached a seat-sharing agreement in which Congress will contest 32 of the 90 Assembly seats

The Congress party has announced its first list of nine candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Released late on Monday, the list includes leaders such as Ghulam Ahmad Mir, the party’s general secretary, who will contest from the Dooru constituency. Former state unit chief Vikar Rasool Wani has been fielded from the Banihal seat.

The Congress has also named candidates for other key constituencies: Surinder Singh Channi will contest from Tral, 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.

Congress, NC finalise seat-sharing agreement

This announcement follows the finalisation of a seat-sharing agreement between the Congress and its ally, the National Conference (NC), for the upcoming elections in the Union Territory. Under the agreement, the NC will contest 51 seats while the Congress will contest 32 seats. Additionally, one seat each has been allotted to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP). The two parties also agreed to a "friendly contest" on five seats.

Earlier on Monday, the NC released its first list of 18 candidates, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) revised its list of 15 candidates for the first phase of voting in the Union Territory.

J-K election: First phase on September 18

The elections, being conducted in compliance with a Supreme Court ruling mandating that the assembly elections be held by September 30, 2024, will see voting take place in three phases from September 18 to October 1. The first phase will cover 24 Assembly constituencies across six districts, with voting scheduled for September 18 and the counting of votes on October 4.

Jammu and Kashmir, which has 90 Assembly seats distributed across 20 districts, has been under central rule since 2018 after the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition government. The PDP manifesto released last week promises to restore J-K's statehood.

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