Apni Party announces Lok Sabha picks from Srinagar, Anantnag

Jammu and Kashmir’s Apni Party, led by Altaf Bukhari, on Thursday announced candidates for Srinagar and Anantnag Lok Sabha seats, putting a stop to any speculation of another political alliance of smaller parties in the Union Territory.

Zaffer Iqbal Manhas will contest from the Anantnag parliamentary seat and Mohammad Ashraf Mir from Srinagar. This is for the first time that the party will field a candidate from Srinagar.

Apni Party’s parliamentary committee chairperson Mohammad Dilawar Mir announced the candidates at a press conference in Srinagar. “So far, we have decided only on these two constituencies,” said Dilawar Mir.

The announcement has closed the chances of another front in Kashmir, for which talks with Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party(DPAP) were on.

Dilawar said that they were in contact with Azad for an alliance but it did not materialise. “As far as alliance with Azad is concerned, there were attempts but that did not materialise. Azad announced his nomination (from Anantnag),” he added.

The Apni Party, formed in 2020, will contest major elections for the first time. The National Conference (NC) has been attacking Apni Party and DPAP of being A and B parties of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The party comprises mostly former ministers and legislators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Its chief Bukhari is also a former PDP leader. The party was formed in March 2020, after revocation of Article 370 in August 2019. All the top leaders of the party had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.

Ashraf Mir had joined the Apni Party in March 2020 after leaving PDP.

“Since its formation, Apni Party has always walked with the people. The traditional parties have not bothered about concerns of the public. They have not talked about J&K in the Parliament. We will talk about people, their honour and statehood,” Ashraf Mir said.

Manhas, a Pahari leader, was also formerly associated with the PDP and joined Apni Party in 2020.

The NC has announced veteran Gujjar leader Mian Altaf from Anantnag constituency and DPAP chairperson Azad will also contest from the same seat. The PDP is yet to announce its candidates.

Kashmir has three parliamentary seats which will go to polls in third, fourth and fifth phase on May 7 (Anantnag), May 13 (Srinagar) and May 20 (Baramulla).

On being asked if the party would support anyone, he said: “We have not decided whether we will be supporting anybody.”