April 06
An Uttar Pradesh resident named Shams Khawaja is one of the seventeen candidates in fray for the Anantnag Lok Sabha Constituency that will be going to polls in three phases, District Islamabad (anantnag) on April 23, under the third phase, Kulgam will vote during the 4th phase, on April 29. The elections for the twin districts of Pulwama and Shopian will be held under 5th phase, on May 6.
Sources informed The Kashmiriyat that Shams Khawaja son of Abdullah Khawaja who is a resident of Guatam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida area has filed his nomination papers in the Returning Officer’s office a week ago.
On Friday, Khalid Jahangir under the supervision of General, Police and Expenditure Observers in presence of the Chief Agents/representatives of candidates conducted the scrutiny of all the candidates who filed nomination papers for the Lok Sabha seat
During the scrutiny, 17 nominations were accepted, two nominations filed by Mr. Bashir Ahmad Malik, Independent Candidate, Mr. Safeer Ahmad Malik of Rashtriya Jan Karanti Party were rejected.
Sources within the District Information office told The Kashmiriyat that it is for the first time that a non Kashmiri is contesting the elections for the Anantnag Lok Sabha Seat.
Kashmir which has been on the edge after the killing of Burhan Wani on July 08, 2016, is expecting a low voter turnout with People’s Democratic party and National Conference as the leading contenders for the three seats in the Kashmir valley, the state has a total of six. (The Kashmiriyat)