First phase of J&K assembly elections today: Iltija Mufti, Yusuf Tarigami and others – a look at the 6 key candidates in the fray | Mint

Voting is being held on 24 seats in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections today on 18 September. The first phase includes 16 seats in Kashmir and eight seats in Jammu region.

Assembly elections are being held in the erstwhile state in three phases. The other two phases will be held on September 25 and October 1. The results will be declared on October 8.

This is the first assembly election to be held in the erstwhile state in ten years. This is also the first assembly election in the Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

219 candidates are in the fray in the first phase of polling. A look at the 6 key candidates in the fray today:

Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami – Kulgam

Senior CPI-M leader Tarigami is contesting for the fifth consecutive time from Kulgam seat in South Kashmir. This seat was once a stronghold of militancy. Around 10 candidates are in the fray for this seat. The main contest is between Tarigami and Nazir Ahmed Lave of the People’s Conference. Lave was earlier in the PDP.

An independent candidate, Sayyar Reshi, backed by the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, is also in the fray from the Kulgam seat today.

Iltija Mufti – Bijbehara-Shrigufwara

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti is contesting from Bijbehara-Srigufwara seat, her family’s home constituency. From here, she is in direct competition with National Conference veteran Bashir Veeri. Veeri has previously lost the election from this seat twice in a row. This seat is considered a family one.

Iltija, 37, is a third-generation politician from the Mufti family. Her mother Mehbooba Mufti and her grandfather, the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, have won from the Bijbehara-Shrigufwara seat, formerly known as Bijbehara.

Waheed ur Rehman Para – Pulwama

Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra is the PDP candidate from Pulwama assembly seat. National Conference leader Khalil Ahmed Band won this seat as a PDP candidate in 2014 and joined NC after the removal of Article 370 in August 2019.

This time too, Bandh is contesting from this seat. The other candidate who has made the contest interesting is independent Dr. Talat Majeed, who has the support of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami.

Para contested and lost the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general elections. A young leader, Para has spent three years in various jails before being released last year.

Shagun Parihar – Kishtwar

The daughter of Ajit Parihar and niece of Anil Parihar, who was killed by militants in 2018, is the BJP candidate from Kishtwar assembly constituency.

The National Conference has fielded Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, while the PDP has fielded Firdous Tak from the Jammu region seat.

Khalid Najeeb Suharwadi – Doda

National Conference leader Khalid Najeeb Suharwadi is in a friendly contest against Congress leader Sheikh Riyaz from Doda seat. Suharwadi comes from a prominent political family and has been a minister in Jammu and Kashmir during the tenure of then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.

Congress leader Riyaz started his career as a sarpanch and later served as the general secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress Committee (JKPCC).

BJP has given ticket to Gajay Singh Rana and PDP has given ticket to Mansoor Ahmed Bhat from Doda seat.

Vikar Rasool Wani- Banihal Gul

Congress leader and former JKPCC chief Vikar Rasool Wani is contesting from Banihal-Ghool seat in Jammu. He has represented this seat earlier too. Wani is pitted against Sajjad Shaheen of National Conference and Imtiaz Shan of PDP. BJP has fielded Samil Bhat from here.

Banihal Gul is one of the seats where a friendly contest is going on between NC and Congress.