Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad are set to contest against each other in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. Mufti, the chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Former People’s Democratic Party (PDP), will fight the polls from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat.
Earlier this month, Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad announced his candidature from the Anantnag–Rajouri constituency. He told news agency ANI, “Initially, I had no intentions to contest. But all our colleagues — be it from South Kashmir or Pir Panjal — all of them said that if we have to contest to win, I will have to contest.”
Azad said he wants to fight for the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir in the Lok Sabha. “…The biggest issue is that we are without statehood — we are a union territory. I fought in the Rajya Sabha when Article 370 was abrogated. I want to fight in Lok Sabha too for statehood…We will demand full statehood where there would be a Governor…My first battle in Lok Sabha would be for the reinstatement of statehood…”
Now, after the announcement of Mufti’s candidature, the PDP chief said, “Whatever I have been doing on the land of Jammu and Kashmir for the last five years, I have always become the voice of the people here…”
“Our manifesto, our request is to strengthen my voice so that we can raise our issues in Parliament…,” she said.
Mufti further launched an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said, “The BJP says everything is fine, if everything is fine then why Section 144 has been imposed in Ladakh. Why people of Jammu are upset…”
There are five Lok Sabha constituencies and 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. The voting for the Lok Sabha Elections will begin on April 19. The results will be announced on June 4.
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Published: 07 Apr 2024, 04:19 PM IST
