Srinagar: Former Minister and MLA of National Conference (NC), Sakina Itoo, on Friday, filed her nomination papers for the first phase of the J&K Assembly elections.
Sakina Itoo accompanied by NC vice president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah filed her papers as the NC candidate for the Damhal Hanjipora Assembly constituency in Kulgam district.
She is seen as the strongest contender for the Damhal Hanjipora Assembly seat. Before the delimitation of Assembly constituencies in J&K, this constituency was known as Noorabad constituency.
There are 99,037 voters in this constituency and voting is scheduled to be held in this constituency in the first phase of 3-phased elections on September 18.
In the 2014 Assembly polls, Sakina Itoo lost the election to Abdul Majeed Paddar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Paddar later left the PDP and joined the Syed Altaf Bukhari-led J&K Apni Party.
He is now facing Sakina Itoo in this constituency as the Apni Party candidate.
Awami Itihad Party (AIP) of incarcerated Lok Sabha member, Engineer Rashid has fielded Mohammad Arif Dar and the PDP has fielded Gulzar Ahmad Dar in the Damhal Hanjipora Assembly constituency.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a notification for the first phase of the J&K Assembly polls.
In the first phase, 24 Assembly constituencies — Tral, Pampore, Pulwama, Damhal Hanjipora, Rajpora, Zainpora, Shopian, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigulwara-Bijbehara, Shangus-Anantnag East and Pahalgam in Kashmir Valley and Inderwal, Kishtwar, Bhaderwah, Padder-Nagseni, Doda, Doda West, Ramban and Banihal in Jammu division go to vote on September 18.
NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah announced on Thursday after a meeting with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi that the two parties have reached a pre-poll alliance on all the 90 seats in the union territory.
This announcement is yet to be confirmed by the Congress. Also to be confirmed is the number of seats agreed to by both parties in the Jammu division and the Valley.
–IANS
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