The third generation from the Mufti dynasty, Iltija Mufti on Tuesday filed her nomination papers as PDP candidate from south Kashmir’s Bijbehara assembly seat that is considered her family bastion. Her mother and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti accompanied her to the election office.
The 35-years Iltija made her debut in electoral politics from Bijbehara. “It is an emotional moment for me”, she said.
Today was the last day for filing papers for the 24 assembly seats that will go to polls in the first phase on 18 September.
“The party has shown confidence in me and chosen me to contest the Bijbehara Assembly constituency,” Iltija told media persons after filing her papers.
She said that her grandfather Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and mother Mehbooba Mufti had also started their politics in Bijbehara. “Today it is a very emotional moment for me and I am truly honoured,” she said.
Mehbooba Mufti, has vowed not to contest Assembly elections until statehood was restored to J&K that was downgraded as a union territory in 2019.
Ltija, who is also the media adviser to PDP Chief Mehbooba, came to the spotlight in 2019 when J&K special status was abrogated and all leaders were put behind bars. At that time she openly talked against the abrogation and handled her mother’s social media accounts for over a year.
She campaigned for her mother Mehbooba Mufti who unsuccessfully contested the recent Lok Sabha election from the Anantnag seat.
Meanwhile, accompanied by a large number of party activists, the former J&K Congress chief GA Mir filed his papers for south Kashmir’s Dooru constituency.
PCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra and working president Raman Bhalla accompanied Mir. Congress is contesting the election in alliance with the National Conference.
Hundreds of his supporters accompanied Vikar Rasool Wani, Congress Working Committee member, as he filed his papers for the Banihal constituency.
A trusted lieutenant of DPAP chief Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ghulam Mohammad Saroori filed his papers as an independent from the Inderwal constituency of the Doda district. Saroori had badly lost the recent Lok Sabha election from the Udhampur constituency.