Lok Sabha polls: Peoples Democratic Party to contest from all seats in Kashmir

The National Conference has named Mian Altaf Ahmed as its candidate for Anantnag-Rajouri, the seat Mufti won in the 2014 general elections.

Apr 3, 2024 - 16:00

Lok Sabha polls: Peoples Democratic Party to contest from all seats in Kashmir

Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said that the National Conference left it with no choice but to field its candidates from all three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir, PTI reported.

The National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party are both constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or the INDIA bloc. The bloc is a coalition of Opposition parties that is taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance in the elections.

On April 1, Omar Abdullah, the vice president of the National Conference, announced that veteran leader Mian Altaf Ahmed will contest the Lok Sabha polls from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat. Mufti had emerged victorious from Anantnag in the 2014 general elections. Her father and founder of the People Democratic Party, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has also represented the seat in Parliament.

Speaking with mediapersons on Wednesday, Mufti said that the attitude of the National Conference leadership was disappointing and hurtful.

“When the INDIA’s meeting took place in Mumbai, I said there that since [National Conference president] Farooq Abdullah is our senior leader, he will take a decision [on seat sharing] and will do justice,” Mufti was quoted as saying by PTI. “I had hoped he would keep the party interests aside.”

The National Conference, however, unilaterally decided...