J-K Assembly polls 2024: The National Conference (NC) on Monday released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. In its first list, the Farooq Abdullah-led party announced the list of 18 candidates, out of 51 seats it is contesting on. This comes hours after the NC reached a seat-sharing agreement with the Congress party for the upcoming polls in the Union Territory. Notably, the first list does not include the name of party president Farooq Abdullah.
According to the agreement, the National Conference will contest 51 of the 90 Assembly seats, while Congress will field candidates in 32 constituencies. The two parties have also agreed to a friendly contest on 5 seats, where they will not oppose each other. Meanwhile, Harsh Dev Singh-led Panthers Party and CPI (M) will field their candidates on one seat each.
The party named its former MP from Anantnag, Justice (Retd) Hassnain Masoodi, as its candidate from Pampore and former legislator Mohammad Khalil Bandh from Pulwama. The NC also announced the names of Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Mir from Rajpora, Showkat Hussain Ganie from Zainpora, Sheikh Mohammad Rafi from Shopian and former minister Sakina Ittoo from DH Pora among others.
List of contesting candidates and constituencies:
- Justice (Retd) Hussnain Masoodi - Pampore
- Mohammad Khalil Bandh - Pulwama
- Gh Mohi-Ud-Din Mir - Rajpora
- Showkat Hussain Ganie - Zainpora
- Sheikh Mohammad Rafi - Shopian
- Sakina Ittoo - DH Pora
- Peerzada Feroze Ahmad - Devsar
- Chowdary Zaffer Ahmad - Larnoo
- Abdul Majeed Larmi - Anantnag West
- Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri - Bijbehara
- Reyaz Ahmad Khan - Anantnag East
- Altaf Ahmad Kaloo - Pahalgam
- Mehboob Iqbal - Bhaderwah
- Khalid Najeeb Soharwardy -Doda
- Arjun Singh Raju - Ramban
- Sajad Shaheen - Banihal
- Sajad Kichloo - Kishtwar
- Pooja Thokur - Pader-Nagsani
NC releases its party manifesto
Earlier on August 19, the National Conference released its party manifesto for the upcoming Assembly polls in the Union Territory. Restoration of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir's statehood as well as implementation of the autonomy resolution passed by the erstwhile assembly in 2000 are among the party's 12 guarantees announced in its manifesto for the upcoming polls. The NC manifesto also promised to seek amnesty for all political prisoners and dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley. Releasing the manifesto at a press conference here, NC Vice President Omar Abdullah said the party is making only those promises it can deliver. He described the manifesto as the NC's vision document and a roadmap for governance.
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