PDP president Mehbooba Mufti to contest from Anantnag

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti will contest from Anantnag, her home constituency she was elected from in the 2014 elections.

Mufti, however, quit the seat after taking over as the CM of the state in April 2016. Subsequently, she was elected to the State Assembly in a by-election in Anantnag segment.  She had previously represented Anant-nag in the 14th Lok Sabha (2004–09) but did not contest the 2009 election.

While announcing the decision at a press conference on Saturday evening, Ms Mufti said that Shia cleric and politician Agha Syed Mohsin will be the PDP candidate for Srinagar Lok Sabha.

The 59-year-old PDP leader also said that her party has decided not to field any candidates for remaining two Lok Sabha seats of the State- Jammu and Udhampur- so that “secular votes” are not divided. She said, “We have in the larger interest of the State and its people decided not to contest on Jammu and Udhampur seats. We want to strengthen the security forces. We don’t want splitting of secular votes in these two constituencies.”

The PDP’s decision not to contest in Jammu and Udhampur is seen as open support to the Congress candidates in these two constituencies of Jammu region of the State.  The National Conference has also extended its support to the Congress candidates- Vikramaditya Singh and Raman Bhalla for the Udhampur and Jammu Lok Sabha seats, respectively in their “tactical” pre-poll alliance. Mr. Singh is the son of senior Congress leader Dr. Karan Singh whereas Mr. Bhalla is a former minister in the State.

Sitting BJP MPs -Minister of State in PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma- are seeking re-election from Udhampur and Jammu, respectively.