Srinagar, Apr 18 (UNI) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference (NC) leader Mian Altaf filed nomination papers for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat on Thursday.
This has set the stage for a direct fight between NC and PDP, which, till recently, were constituents of the Opposition INDIA alliance.
While Ghulam Nabi Azad, Chairman of Democratic Progressive Azad Party, has decided not to contest from the constituency, the BJP has yet not announced a candidate.
The last date to file the nominations in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat is April 19.
The first to file nomination papers today was influential Gujjar leader and NC candidate Mian Altaf. He was accompanied by party Vice President Omar Abdullah and General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Ghulam Ahmed Mir.
“Mian Altaf Sahib is the joint candidate of INDIA bloc, and he is the best candidate, and we are hopeful that he wins with a huge margin from Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat,” Mir told reporters in Anantnag.
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah hoped that with the support of every party, the INDIA alliance candidate would win with a huge margin.
“On behalf of the party president Farooq (Abdullah) Sahib, I thank Mir sab, who came all the way from Delhi, leaving his busy engagements to be present here when Altaf saab filed his nomination,” Omar said.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, accompanied by her daughter Iltija and other senior party leaders, submitted her nomination papers to the Returning Officer.
Before filing her nomination, she visited the grave of her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, at Bijbehara in Anantnag.
“Missing my father the most today,” she posted on social media.
Apni Party candidate Zaffar Manhas also submitted his nominations for the Anantnag Rajouri parliamentary seat.
"The public will ultimately decide the outcome of an election, and there are no big or small candidates," he said, adding people can't forget those who committed wrongs in the past 70 years.
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