Jammu & Kashmir Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Mehbooba Mufti Vs Ghulam Nabi Azad In Anantnag-Rajouri Seat

In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024, Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag-Rajouri constituency will witness a high-voltage battle between two former chief ministers. On Sunday, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti announced that she will contest the upcoming polls from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat against former Congress leader and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) president, Ghulam Nabi Azad.

The National Conference (NC) has field senior party leader Mian Altaf Ahmad from this seat which will go under polling on May 7, in the third phase of the elections.

At a presser, PDP Parliamentary Board Chief Sartaj Madni and Mehbooba Mufti announced that party youth president Waheed Parra will fight elections from Srinagar, and former Rajya Sabha member Mir Fayaz will contest from the Baramulla constituency.

The PDP has also decided to extend its support to the Congress on Udhampur and Jammu seats.

However, the speculations suggested that BJP may field its UT president Ravinder Raina from the crucial Rajouri-Anantnag seat. However, the official announcement is yet to be made.

Speaking on Raina's candidature, BJP spokesperson Sunil Sethi said, "We, in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have a different system; a different culture. We don't give credence to speculations. We have an appropriate authority i.e., Parliamentary Board to take decisions with regard to selection of candidates for Lok Sabha polls. It will take a final call. State or UT units only give feedback."

Dates For Lok Sabha Elections 2024 In Jammu Kashmir:

The polling for Jammu and Kashmir will happen in five phases and the counting of the votes will take place on June 4.

Phase 1, April 19: Udhampur
Phase 2, April 26: Jammu
Phase 3, May 7: Anantnag-Rajouri
Phase 4, May 13: 1 seat - Srinagar
Phase 5, May 20: Baramulla

While Ladakh, the erstwhile part of Jammu and Kashmir, and now a separate Union Territory, will go under polling in the fifth phase on May 20.