J-K Assembly polls phase 1 today: Iltija Mufti, Yousuf Tarigami and more – a look at 6 key candidates in the fray

Voting is being held in 24 seats in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections today, September 18. The first phase covers 16 seats in Kashmir and eight seats in Jammu region.

Assembly elections are being held in the erstwhile state in three phases. The other two phases will be held on September 25 and October 1. The results will be announced on October 8.

This is the first assembly poll being held in the erstwhile state in ten years. This is also first assembly election being held in the Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

As many as 219 candidates are competing in the first phase of voting. Here is a look at 6 key candidates in the fray today:

Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami – Kulgam

Tarigami, the veteran CPI-M leader is seeking a fifth consecutive term from Kulgam seat in South Kashmir, once a hub of militancy. As many as 10 candidates are vying for the seat with the main contest seemingly between Tarigami and Nazir Ahmad Laway of People’s Conference. Laway was earlier with the PDP.

Sayyar Reshi, an independent candidate, backed by the banned Jamaat-e-Islami is also in the fray from Kulgam seat today.

Iltija Mufti – Bijbehara-Srigufwara

Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, is making her electoral debut from family’s home turf of Bijbehara-Srigufwara seat. She is in a direct contest with National Conference veteran Bashir Veeri from here. Veeri previously lost two elections in a row from the seat. The seat is considered family.

Iltija, 37, is a third-generation politician from the Mufti family. Her mother,Mehbooba Mufti, and her grandfather, the lateMufti Mohammad Sayeed, have won fromBijbehara-Srigufwara seat, earlier known as Bijbehara.

Waheed ur Rehman Parra – Pulwama

Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra is the PDP candidate for the Pulwama Assembly seat. National Conference leader Khalil Ahmad Bandh won the seat in 2014 as a PDP candidate and had now switched to the NC after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

Bandh is also contesting from the seat this time. Other candidate who has made the contest interesting is Independent Dr Talat Majeed, who is backed by banned Jamaat-e-Islami.

Parra contested from the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat in 2024 general elections and lost. A youth leader, Para has spent three years in various jails before being released last year.

Shagun Parihar – Kishtwar

Parihar, daughter of Ajit Parihar and niece of Anil Parihar, who were killed by militants in 2018 is the BJP candidate from Kishtwar assembly constituency.

The NC has fielded Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo while the PDP has fielded Firdous Tak from the seat in Jammu region.

Khalid Najib Suharwady – Doda

National Conference leader Khalid Najib Suharwady is in a friendly contest against Congress leader Sheikh Riyaz from the Doda seat. Suharwady comes from a distinguished political lineage and has served as minister in Jammu and Kashmir before under then chief minister Farooq Abdullah.

Congress leader Riyaz began his career as a sarpanch and later served as the general secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress Committee (JKPCC).

The BJP has fielded Gajay Singh Rana and PDP has given ticket to Mansoor Ahmed Bhat from the Doda seat.

Vikar Rasool Wani- Banihal Gool

Congress leader and former JKPCC chief Vikar Rasool Wani is contesting from the Banihal-Gool seat in Jammu. He has represented the seat before as well. Wani is contesting against Sajad Shaheen of the National Conference and Imtiyaz Shan of the PDP. The BJP has fielded Samil Bhat from here.

Banihal Gool is one of the seats where the NC and the Congress are involved in a friendly fight.