JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Sept 2: Congress Party today released its second list of six candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in jammu and Kashmir, fielding JKPCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra from Central Shalteng ( Earlier Batamaloo in Srinagar) and former Minister Shabir Khan from Thannamandi in Rajouri.
The list was released soon after the Central Election Committee of the Congress Party met in the Union Capital to finalise names of candidates for the elections, which the party is contesting in alliance with the National Conference.
Apart from the JKPCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra, the Congress has fielded Shabir Ahmed Khan, a former Minister from Thannamandi (ST) seat in district Rajouri, Iftikhar Ahmed from Rajouri (ST), Mohd Shahnawaz Choudhary from Surankote (ST) in district Poonch, Mumtaz Khan from Reasi and Bhupender Jamwal (Mian) from Katra Mata Vaishno Devi
.
These constituencies will go to polls in the second phase of the three-phase Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The total number of candidates declared by the Congress party up to now, is 15.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief and LOP Rahul Gandhi, general secretary in-charge (Organisation) K C Venugopal, Tariq H Karra, Jammu and Kashmir screening committee chairman Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, AICC general secretary I/C J&K Bharatsinh Solanki and senior leaders Salman Khurshid, Ambika Soni among others, attended the meeting at the AICC headquarters, New Delhi today. The meeting which started at around 11.30 am, lasted for about three and half hours
The National Conference and the Congress have finalised the seat-sharing formula and will contest 51 and 32 seats, respectively. One seat each has been allotted to the CPI (M) and the Harshdev Singh, former JKNPP chief.
Last week, the Congress had issued its first list of nine candidates for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, fielding party general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir from Dooru and former JKPCC chief Vikar Rasool Wani from Banihal.
The party also fielded Surinder Singh Channi from the Tral seat, Amanullah Mantoo from Devsar, Peerzada Mohammad Syed from Anantnag, Sheikh Zafarullah from Inderwal, Nadeem Sharief NIaz from Bhadarwah, Sheikh Riyaz from Doda and Pradeep Kumar Bhagat from Doda West.
The Jammu and Kashmir elections will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1, followed by counting of votes on October 8.