Jammu & Kashmir Polls: Candidates File Nominations; Alliances and Strategies Unfold

Candidates from various parties have filed nominations for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls. Ghulam Ahmad Mir of Congress criticised the BJP, while BJP's Saleem Bhat emphasized the need for peace and prosperity. National Conference and Congress have agreed on seat-sharing, and polling starts on September 18.

On Tuesday, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Congress candidate from the Dooru Assembly constituency, officially filed his nomination for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Addressing ANI, Mir accused the BJP of suffocating the people of the region, thereby reinforcing the INDIA bloc's call for democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. 'The people of J&K have lacked representation for the past 11 years and have suffered under BJP's torture. Hence, the INDIA alliance has consistently demanded democratic rights for J&K,' Mir stated.

In contrast, Saleem Bhat, the BJP candidate from the Banihal Assembly, appealed for votes by promoting the BJP's agenda for peace and prosperity. 'I've been with the BJP since 2008 and I'm proud to serve the party. I believe the people will bless us and support PM Modi by voting for BJP,' Bhat said. He dismissed opposition claims, asserting, 'My contest is not with any other party; PM Modi has already secured a significant part of the victory for us.'

Furthermore, Sajjad Shaheen, a National Conference candidate from Banihal, emphasized their alliance with Congress as a strategic move against communal forces in the valley. Under their seat-sharing agreement, National Conference will contest 51 of the 90 seats, leaving 32 seats for Congress, with each party having a 'friendly contest' on five seats. BJP has also released its list of 16 candidates for the region, with polling set to occur in three phases starting on September 18. The region has 88.06 lakh electors, with votes to be counted on October 4.

(With inputs from agencies.)