Jammu Kashmir National conference on Friday announced its candidates for the Lok Sabha seats in north and central Kashmir.
As per a party spokesperson, Aga Ruhullah will contest Srinagar seat and Omar Abdullah, the party vice president will contest north Kashmir seat for Lok Sabha.
Elections for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat will be held on May 13, 2024– Phase 4 of Lok Sabha polls– while votes will be counted on June 4 and results declared on the same day.
Aga Ruhullah, a strong NC face Kashmir is a multiple-time MLA and comes from the strong Shia family of Aga’s based in Budgam.
One of the most vocal leaders of the party post abrogation of Article 370, he is the son of Aga Syed Mehdi. He, on several occassions, has targetted the NC leadership for their “mild approach” to condemning the August 5, 2019 changes.
Formerly an MLA and cabinet minister, he resigned as chief spokesman of NC in July 2020 following differences with the party leadership.
Winning three legislative assembly elections in the Budgam constituency, he is the grandson of Aga Syed Mustafa and the nephew of Aga Syed Hassan Al Safvi Al Mosvi, president of Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian.
The Baramulla Lok Sabha Constituency Election 2024, scheduled for June 1st in Phase 7, will see a significant voter turnout of 11.5 lakhs, indicating a highly contested battle in north Kashmir.
Omar Abdullah, the party’s vice president has been announced as a candidate from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat. The seat includes the areas of north Kashmir.
Omar Abdullah looks poised for a tough fight against Sajad Gani Lone of the people’s conference, however, recent joinings of the People’s conference and the backing of former MP Akbar Lone will add to JKNC’s strength in the north Kashmir belt.
Up north, Engineer Rashid, currently incarcerated, has thrown his hat in the ring, while Sajad Lone, enjoying significant support in the northern regions, particularly in his family’s stronghold of Handwara and Kupwara, emerges as a formidable contender.
Recent purported meetings with the Bharatiya Janata Party, according to political analysts, may dent Sajad’s voter base, though politics in Kashmir is not so black and white.
The lingering question is whether the accusations against Sajad Lone will tarnish his reputation and, if so, which party stands to gain from it.