High-stake race: Iltija, Tarigami, Mir among others file nominations

With the nominations for the first phase of elections ending on Tuesday, several heavy weights filled their nominations from 24 seats across the J&K. As per officials more than 280 candidates have filed nomination papers.

In the first phase 24 seats will go to polls in Jammu and Kashmir. The prominent among those who filed their nominations on Tuesday include Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami (CPI), M Iltija Mufti, Waheed ur Rehman Parra, PDP Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Peerzada Sayeed (Congress) and Amin Bhat.

Tarigami who is four time former legislator from Kulgam is the candidate from NC-Congress alliance. In the seat sharing, one seat was left for prominent communist leader who holds much clout in the constituency.

Tarigami was accompanied by supporters when he filed his filed his nomination papers from Kulgam constituency. He has been winning the constituency from 1996. “I have again filed my nominations from Kulgam constituency. I am hopeful my people, especially youth will give me chance to represent them in assembly,” he said adding that peoples’ court is the biggest court. “I hope people will go through my previous work.”

Congress general secretary and former minister Ghulam Ahmad Mir, who was accompanied by Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra, also filed his nomination papers from Dooru assembly segment. He is joint candidate of NC and Congress and contesting against PDP and DPAP candidates. “I am hopeful people of J&K will give full mandate to the NC Congress coalition,” he said.

Former legislator Mohammad Amin Bhat who is contesting elections on the ticket of Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) from Devsar said that if people of the region want development they should vote for Ghulam Nabi Azad. “You have seen what previous government’s have done. If you want development then our party is only choice.”

Apni Party spokesman Mohammad Rafi Mir who filed his nomination papers from Pahalgam said the constituency has been represented by two former chief ministers and still it is without development. “We have many problems so we need to address them one by one.”

Iltija Mufti, who is contesting her first election from home constituency Bijbehara filed her nomination in the afternoon. The constituency has been represented by her grandfather Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and mother Mehbooba Mufti.

“I assure the people of the Bijbehara assembly constituency that I will serve them not as MLA but as their sister and daughter. I appeal people to choose me because of the circumstances and tyranny we are facing. I will raise it on the floor of assembly,” she said and added that people have always stood with truth and I will continue to stand with it.

PDP youth president Waheed ur Rehman Parra who unsuccessfully contested recently held Lok Sabha polls from Srinagar filed his nomination papers from Pulwama constituency. Hundreds of supporters accompanied him to file nomination papers. “The PDP has stood for truth and will speak for people and unjustice which has been done to people in last five years,” said Parra who received more than two lakh votes in parliament polls.