news details |
|
|
| Selection nominees: PDP takes lead | | ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Apr 7
At a time when the political parties are still guessing the election schedule, the Peoples Democratic Party has made a timely beginning by announcing its Parliamentary Board to decide the candidates for upcoming assembly elections.
Meanwhile, hectic lobbying has begun in almost all parties for security ticket for the elections. However, except PDP, none of the parties have given formal shape to any panel for short-listing candidates even though sources said that the National Conference leadership has zeroes in on around 35 candidates mostly from Jammu region.
Giving formal shape to the panel, the PDP today has announced that the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) would also serve as the PDP Parliamentary Board for the upcoming assembly elections.
The Parliamentary Board has been entrusted with the job of selecting candidates for the assembly elections. In this connection, the Board would hold its first meeting at the Srinagar official residence of the PDP Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on 3 May 2008.
Besides Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the other members of the Parliamentary Board are Ms Mehbooba Mufti, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Abdul Aziz Zargar, Tariq Hameed Karra, Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, Sardar Rangil Singh, Qazi Mohammad Afzal, Mohammad Dillawar Mir, Ved Mahajan, Master Tassaduq Hussain, Sardar T S Bajwa and Nissar Ahmad Khan.
If elections are to be held on schedule, then there are five months to go. However, not waiting for the final word from the Election Commission or the ruling dispensation in the state, all the mainstream political parties have started selecting party candidates who could be fielded in different constituencies in the state.
The National Conference has decided to contest all the 87 seats and its leadership has tentatively shortlisted party candidates for 30 constituencies. Similarly the PDP plans to contest 70 seats in case there was no alliance with the Congress.
The state Congress leadership plans to contest at least 80 seats in case there was no pre-poll alliance with the PDP. The Panthers Pary has decided to field party candidates in 50 constituencies and so far 25 candidates have been shortlisted.
For the BJP the next election is going to be a battle for its survival because in 2002 poll it could win only one seat. It plans to contest not more than 55 seats and so far has identified 20 candidates who were to be fielded and this includes Jugal Kishore the sole sitting MLA.
Provincial President of the National Conference, Ajay Sadhotra, said that so far the party has not decided to forge alliance with some like-minded organisation and since the possibilities of such an alliance were remote "we will field party candidates in all the 87 constituencies."
Political observers are of the opinion that in case there was no pre-poll alliance between the Congress and the PDP the National Conference would get benefited from the triangular contest not only in the Valley but in Poonch, Rajouri and Doda belts. At present the opinion is divided in the state congress unit over pre-poll alliance with the PDP.
Those who oppose any alliance with the PDP are led by the Social Welfare Minister, Abdul Gani Vakil. However, the Congress high command is said to be in favour of a pre-poll alliance so that this arrangement could prevent the National Conference from winning absolute majority in the Assembly in the election. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
