Lok Sabha elections 2024: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is the Lok Sabha Candidate from Anantnag-Rajouri seat. On April 18, she filed her nomination papers for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency.
Accompanied by senior PDP leaders and a large number of supporters, Mehbooba filed her papers before the District Development Commissioner, Anantnag, who is the returning officer of the constituency.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not expected to field a candidate and the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) withdrawing Ghulam Nabi Azad from the race on Wednesday (April 17), a virtual showdown will take place between the PDP president and National Conference's (NC) influential Gujjar and Bakarwal leader Mian Altaf Ahmad Larvi.
Azad's DPAP has fielded Mohammad Saleem Paray while the Apni Party has named Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, who also filed his nomination papers, as its candidate. Senior NC leader Mian Altaf Ahmad filed papers for this constituency, while DPAP President Ghulam Nabi Azad, who hinted at joining the fray, has now announced he would not contest the Lok Sabha election.
J&K Apni Party (JKAP) headed by Syed Altaf Bukhari. has decided to field Zafar Iqbal Manhas from the constituency. The BJP has not, so far, announced its candidates for any of the three Lok Sabha constituencies of the Kashmir Valley.
The Congress is supporting the NC candidates in the Valley, and the NC is reciprocating the support in the two Lok Sabha seats in the Jammu division.
Anantnag-Rajouri constituency
Anantnag-Rajouri is the only Lok Sabha constituency in J&K that has voting segments in both the Kashmir Valley and the Jammu division, as it comprises the districts of Anantnag and Kulgam in the Valley and Poonch and Rajouri in the Jammu division.
When will Anantnag–Rajouri seat go for polling?
Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency will go to polls in the third phase of elections on May 7. Friday (April 26) is the last date for filing nominations in this constituency which was carved out from parts of Anantnag-Pulwama and Jammu-Poonch-Rajouri Lok Sabha seats following the delimitation exercise carried out in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022.
2019 poll results
In 2019, polling for the Lok Sabha was held for six seats in Jammu and Kashmir. However, following the abrogation of Article 370, which resulted in the split of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, there is no longer a separate Lok Sabha constituency for Ladakh. In the 2019 elections, the BJP won three seats while the National Conference won the remaining three.
The counting of votes will be held on June 4 (Tuesday).
