By IANS,
Srinagar : Depending mostly on its stalwarts to come to power in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference Thursday released a list of its remaining candidates for the assembly elections.
The party had already announced its candidates for the first and second phases of the seven-phased elections, beginning Nov 17 and concluding Dec 24.
In a statemwent here, the party said the list has been approved by its parliamentary party which met here under the chairmanship of party presdient Omar Abdullah. Party patron and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah attended the meeting.
Farooq Abdullah will for the first time contest the state elections from the Hazratbal constituency in Srinagar district, which is regarded as a safe seat for him as it has strong pockets of the party’s influence.
Omar Abdullah will contest from the Ganderbal constituency in north Kashmir.
The list also includes Mian Altaf Ahmad (Kangan), Abdul Rahim Rather (Charar-e-Sharief in Badgam district), Muhammad Shafi (Uri, north Kashmir) and Mustafa Kamal (Gulmarg, Baramulla district).
A.R. Shaheen, the party’s sitting MP from Baramulla in north Kashmir, has been fielded from his home constituency of Pattan in north Kashmir.
Former minister Chowdhary Muhammad Ramzan has been again fielded from his home constituency of Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
Ali Muhammad Sagar, another party stalwart, will fight from Khanyar in Srinagar district. He had won the last assembly elections of 2002 from that constituency.
National Conference provincial president Mehboob Beg will contest from his home constituency of Anantnag in south Kashmir.
In the Jammu region, prominent party leaders in the fray include Ajay Sadhotra (Marh), Ajay Shatru Singh (Nagrota), Surjeet Singh Salathia (Vijaypur), Sardar T.S. Wazir (Gandhi Nagar), Naresh Chowdhary (Suchetgarh), Yash Paul Bhagat (Bishnah), Som Nath Manyal (Samba), Ramesh Motton (R.S. Pura), Ghulam Hyder Malik (Bani), D.S. Bindu (Basohli) and Devender Singh Salathia (Kathua).