Congress CEC finalises list of 23 candidates for 2nd & 3rd phase of J&K polls

New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) The Congress's Central Election Committee (CEC) on Monday finalised the list of 23 candidates for the 2nd & 3rd phases of the J&K Assembly polls.

Talking to reporters after the four-hour-long meeting in the national capital, the party's Jammu and Kashmir unit President, Tariq Hameed Karra said that a threadbare discussion on 29 seats going to polls in the 2nd and 3rd phases.

"We were asked to share more details about one of the six seats going to polls in the 2nd phase and about five seats out of 23 going to polls in the 3rd phase, he said, adding that a list of candidates for 23 seats has been finalised, comprising 5 for the 2nd phase and 18 for the 3rd phase.

Details for one of the seats sought by the CEC will be shared by this evening, and for the five seats going to polls in 3rd phase will be shared through the state President's office, he said.

Karra said that the list of candidates who are contesting in the 2nd phase will be announced first.

The Congress, which has entered into a pre-poll alliance with the National Conference for the Jammu and Kashmir polls, had announced 9 candidates for the first phase on August 27. While the NC will contest from 52 seats, the Congress will fight for 31 seats. Besides, there will be a friendly contest in five seats - Nagrota, Bhaderwah, Doda, and Banihal in the Jammu division and the Sopore in the Valley. Both parties have left one seat for the CPI-M in the Valley and one for the Panthers Party in the Jammu division.

The Awami Itihad Party (AIP), headed by incarcerated Lok Sabha member, Engineer Rashid is also expected to release its list of candidates on Monday. The party has, however, already announced that Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh, brother of Engineer Rashid, will stand from the Langate Assembly seat in Kupwara district. Engineer Rashid has represented this Assembly seat twice.

The three-phase election to the 90-member Assembly will be held on September 18, and 25, and October 1. Counting of votes will take place on October 8.

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