Congress releases list of six candidates for second phase J&K Assembly polls

File Photo: Congress Symbol


Congress on Monday released a list of six candidates for the second phase of upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir.

The party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) has finalised the name of candidates for the second phase, said its General Secretary in-charge of Organisation KC Venugopal.

According to the list, Tariq Hameed Karra will contest from the Central Shalteng Assembly seat, Mumtaz Khan from Reasi, Bhupender Jamwal from Mata Vaishno Devi, and Iftikar Ahmed from Rajouri.

The Congress party has fielded Shabir Ahmad Khan from Thannamandi constituency and Mohd Shahnawaz Choudhary from Surankote.

Earlier in the day, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, along with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, chaired a meeting of the CEC to discuss the names of candidates.

It may be mentioned here that the National Conference (NC) and Congress sealed an agreement under which the NC will contest 51 seats and Congress 32, in Jammu and Kashmir.

On 16th August, the Election Commission (EC) announced the Assembly elections to be held in J&K in three phases with the first phase voting on 18 September, the second phase on 25th September, and the third phase on 1st October.

The counting of votes will take place on 8th October.

Notably, in December last, the Supreme Court had ordered the Commission to hold the assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir by 30th September 2024, while pronouncing the judgment in the cases concerning the abrogation of Article 370.

This will be the first assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.