 Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 13: Amid National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah bragging about his party being the strongest contender to win Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, PDP, DPAP and BJP are eyeing this prestigious constituency.
Speculations are rife that PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, chairman of Democratic Progressive Azad Party, Ghulam Nabi Azad and BJP’s J&K UT chief Ravinder Raina are mulling to try their luck from this prestigious seat, which after delimitation comprises voters from both Kashmir and Jammu regions.
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah has been boasting that his party won Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 elections and would do the same this time also but he may be in for a big surprise as all the political parties may file their strongest candidates from this seat.
Omar had refused to leave the seat for the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and insisted upon NC fielding its candidate from there.
Mehbooba has accused the National Conference of breaking the alliance and is reportedly mulling to contest from this seat. However, the leaders from the Communi Omar may be in for a big surprise.
Mehbooba is reportedly mulling to contest from this seat.
Azad says many people are asking him to contest LS polls.
BJP J&K UT chief Ravinder Raina is also extensively campaigning in the area.
Omar Abdullah has been reiterating his party's stance on not ceding any seats in Kashmir to the PDP. He has suggested that if Congress desires, it could allocate either two seats in Jammu or one seat in Ladakh to the PDP.
On the other hand DPAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad may contest from Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency. "I'm not ruling out contesting from Anantnag-Rajouri parliament constituency," Azad recently told a news channel.
"Lots of people are asking me to contest. Demand of my being in the parliament is more... but there are voices who want me contest assembly elections," he said.
With Azad's entry, Anantnag could see a four cornered contest. The seat was once considered a stronghold of the PDP, though National Conference won it in the last election.
BJP J&K UT chief Ravinder Raina is also extensively campaigning in the area, holding rallies in what literally were no-go areas for the BJP till a few years ago. | 