A total of 123 candidates, including seven ministers of Congress-National Conference coalition, eight former ministers are in fray for the Jammu and Kashmir's first phase of elections scheduled later this month.
"On the last day of withdrawal of the nominations for the first phase of assembly elections for which polling is scheduled to be held on November 25, 123 candidates remain in fray," an official spokesman said on Tuesday.
Nazir Gurezi contesting from Gurez seat, Mohmmad Akbar Lone from Sonawari assembly constituency, Mian Altaf Ahmed from Kangan and Sajjad Kitchloo from Kishtwar are the ministers of the Omar Abdullah led NC government who are in the election fray this time.
Nawang Rigzin Jora (Congress) contesting from Leh constituency, Abdul Majid Wani (Congress) from Doda, Vakar Rasool Wani (Congress) from Banihal and Chief Executive Counsellor of Ladakh Autonomous hill Development council Asgar Ali Karbalie (Congress) from Kargil are the other candidates, the spokesman said.
Three sitting legislators and former minister, including G M Saroori (Congress) from Inderwal, Mohd Sharief Naiz (Congress) from Bhaderwah, Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy (NC) from Doda besides the sitting MLAs -- Nizamudin Bhat (Jammu & Kashmir People's Democratic Party) and Ashok Kumar (Congress) from Bandipora and Ramban segments will also be fighting this election.
Apart from these, there are two bureaucrats in the fray. Former IAS officers, Mehboob Iqbal and Bashir Ahmed Roniyal are contesting on JKPDP ticket from Bhaderwah and Banihal constituencies as well as journalist-turned politician Firdos Tak, who is fighting on a JKPDP ticket from Kishtwar, official said.
Giving further details, the spokesman said that four candidates namely Faqir Mohammad Khan (Congress), Mohammad Ismail Lone (JKPDP), Nazir Ahmed Khan Gurezi (NC) and Gh Rasool Bhat (Independent) will fight from 9-Gurez assembly constituency.
In 10-Bandipora Assembly Constituency, 13 candidates are in the fray including Javid Ahmed Shah (Bahujan Samaj Party), A B Rehman (Bharatiya Janata Party), Abdullah Wani (NC), Usman Abdul Majid (Congress), Nizam-u-Din Bhat (JKPDP), Mohammad Ismail Bhat (Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference), Mohammad Iqbal Zargar (All India Forward Bloc), Manzoor Ahmad Baba (All J&K Kisan Mazdor Party), Sheikh Waseem Bari (Independent), Gh Ahmad Bhat (Independent), Mohammad Shafi Khan (Independent), Prof Mohammad Shafi Mir (Independent) and Nazir Ahmad Malik (Independent), he said.
In 11-Sonawari assembly constituency, seven candidates will be contesting the elections namely Imtiyaz Ahmed Parray (Congress), Gh Rasool Malik (National Panthers), Mohammad Akbar Lone (NC), Yasir Reshi (JKPDP), Qawamudin Sheikh (JKPC), Gh Mohammad Parray (Independent) and Nazir Ahmad Wani (Independent), he added.
In 16-Kangan assembly constituency, 10 candidates are in the fray including Ajaz Ahmad Sheikh (Congress), Altaf Ahmad (NC), Bashir Ahmad Mir (JKPDP), Abdul Rashid Ganaie (National Panthers), Mohammad Sultan Lone (BSP), Nazir Ahmad Raina (BJP), Shabir Ahmad Mir (AJKKMP), Mushtaq Ahmad Shah (JKPC), Showkat Hussain Khan (Independent) and Ghulam Hassan Rather (Independent).
In 17-Ganderbal Assembly Constituency, Ishfaq Ahmed Sheikh (JKNC), Sheikh Abdul Rasheed (BJP), Ali Mohammad Baba (JKNPP), Qazi Mohammad Afzal (JKPDP), Mohammad Yousuf Bhat (INC), Abdul Majeed Dhobi (J&K Peoples Conference), Bilal Ahmad Khanday (Independent) , Javed Ahmad Khan (Independent), Syed Ali Mohammad Shah (Independent), Sheikh Ghulam Ahmad (Independent), Gh Rasool Mir (Independent), Nazir Ahmad Lone (Independent)and Hilal Ahmad Dar (Independent) form the 13 candidates, the spokesman said.
In 47-Nobra Assembly Constituency, 6 candidates are in the fray including Stanzin Delik (BJP), Tashi Gyalson (JKPDP), Tsetan Namgyal (JKNC), Deldan Namgail (Congress), Tsewang Rigzin (Independent), and Nissar Hussain (Independent), he said.
In 48-Leh Assembly Constituency, two candidates are in the fray including Chering Dorjay (BJP) and Nawang Rigzin (Congress), he said.
In 49-Kargil Assembly Constituency, four candidates are in the fray including Asgar Ali Karbalaie (Congress), Abdul Aziz (BJP), Anayat Ali (JKPDP) and Dr Kacho Mohammad Hussain (JKNC). In 50-Zanskar Assembly Constituency, 4 candidates are in the fray including Stanzin Lakpa (BJP), Ghulam Raza (Congress), Ghulam Mohammad (JKPDP) and Syed Mohammad Baqir Rizvi (Independent).
In 51-Kishtwar Assembly Constituency, 10 candidates are in the fray including Aijaz Hussain (NCP), Des Raj (BSP), Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo (JKNC), Sunil Kumar Sharma (BJP), Firdous Ahmed Tak (JKPDP), Nek Ram (Congress), Mohammad Amin Bhat (Janta Dal (secular) ), Jaswant Singh (Independent), Farooq Ahmad (Independent) and Ch Gulzar Ahmed (Independent), according to the spokesman.
In 52-Inderwal Assembly Constituency, 12 candidates are in the fray including Imtiaz Ahmad (JKNPP), Jyoti Prakash (BSP), Salam Din (JKNC), Tariq Hussain Keen (BJP), Abdul Majeed Batt (JKPDP), Ghulam Mohammad Saroori (Congress), Tanveer Hussain (Rashtriya Krantikari Samajwadi Party), Jaber Singh (Independent), Shanwaz Ahmad (Independent), Ashaq Hussain (Independent), Abdul Majeed Ganai (Independent) and Farooq Ahmad Keen (Independent).
In 53-Doda Assembly Constituency, 11 candidates are in the fray including Chunni Lal (BSP), Khalid Najib Suharwardy (JKNC), Shakti Raj (BJP), Shahab-ul-Haq (JKPDP), Abdul Majid Wani (Congress), Daya Krishan (Independent), Rajinder Singh (Independent), Farooq Ahmed Dar (Independent), Mohammad Ali Shokeen (Independent), Mohammad Yousaf (Independent) and Nuzhat Iqbal Zargar (Independent).
In 54-Bhadarwah Assembly Constituency, 13 candidates are in the fray including Bhoori Singh (Nationalist Congress Party), Daleep Singh (BJP), Riaz Anayatullah (JKNC), Sanjay Kumar (BSP), Sheikh Mehboob Iqbal (JKPDP), Mohammad Sharief Niaz (Congress), Narinder Kant (CPI), Nirej Singh Manhas (JKNPP), Sheikh Mohammad Shafi (Samajwadi Party), Er Om Parkash (Independent), Reyaz Ahmed Zargar (Independent), Dr Kuldeep Singh Charak (Independent) and Mehraj Din (Independent), he added.
In 55-Ramban (SC) assembly constituency, eight candidates are in the fray including Ashok Kumar (Congress), Prithvi Raj (BSP), Dr Chaman Lal (JKNC), Suraish Kumar (JKNPP), Swami Raj (JKPDP), Neelam Kumar Langeh (BJP), Amrit Barsha (SP) and Girdhari Lal (Independent).
In 56-Banihal Constituency, 6 candidates are in the fray including Bashir Ahmed Runyal (JKPDP), Sajad Shaheen (JKNC), Sewa Sing Bali (JKNPP), Showket Javeed Daing (BJP), Mohd Ali (BSP) and Vikar Rasool Wani (Congress), he said.
