By News Agency of Kashmir,
Jammu : It’s almost final now. Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad will contest assembly election from Bhaderwah constituency, from where he won the last elections with a landslide margin of more than 30,000 votes.
Well informed sources in the party circles told News Agency of Kashmir that Azad, who till recently was not able to made his mind about contesting the assembly elections, has finally declared that he would go for elections from his home turf.
“The party leaders in Bhaderwah have been asked to remain ready for launching a massive poll campaign”, sources said adding, “Azad would be personally visiting the area and leading the election campaign”.
Azad will now face former advocate general Mohammad Aslam Goni of National and DK Kotwal of BJP, former state unit president.
Bhaderwah is the home turf of Azad. In-fact, the National Conference had not fielded any candidate against him in the April 2006 by-election. His cousin and former power minister Muhammad Sharief Niaz had vacated the Bhaderwah seat to pave way for Azad s win.
54-Bhaderwah constituency has a total electors eligible to exercise their franchise in the constituency in 2008 elections are 94,173. Of these, 47,970 are male and 46,203 female voters. The number of polling stations to be set up in the constituency is 112, as compared to 107 in 2002 elections.
Mohammad Sharief Niaz of INC was elected from this constituency in 2002 elections. He polled 16,962 votes and defeated his nearest NC rival Mohammad Aslam by a margin of 6,827 votes. Aslam received 10,135 votes. A total of 49,628 voters voted out of 91,478 registered electorate and the poll percentage was recorded at 54.25.
Due to the resignation of Mr. Niaz, by-election was held in Bhaderwah constituency on April 24, 2006. Ghulam Nabi Azad of INC was elected from this constituency in the said by-election.
The constituency was represented by Chuni Lal of NC in 1957 and 1962 while as Jagat Ram and Bodh Raj of the Congress party won the 1967 and 1972 elections. Narayan Dass of JP won from here in 1977 while as H.L. Hiteshi of NC wrested the seat in 1983. Hari Lal of INC represented the constituency in 1987 while as Sheikh Abdul Rehman of BSP won from Bhaderwah in 1996.