Lok Sabha poll: Ghulam Nabi Azad will not contest from J-K's Anantnag-Rajouri seat, says his party DPAP

Srinagar, April 17

Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad will not contest the Lok Sabha elections from Anantnag-Rajouri seat in Jammu and Kashmir, his party said on Wednesday.

DPAP’s provincial president, Kashmir, Mohammad Amin Bhat said the party has now decided to field its leader Mohammad Saleem Parray from the seat.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference senior leader Mian Altaf are contesting from the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary seat.

“Azad will not contest the elections (from Anantnag-Rajouri seat),” Bhat told reporters in Anantnag.

“A meeting took place with Azad and it was decided that advocate Saleem Parray will be the DPAP candidate for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat,” he added.

The DPAP leader said Azad has some reasons not to contest — without divulging those reasons.

“He gave some reasons (in the meeting) and then we took a decision on fielding Parray from the seat,” Bhat said.

On April 2, the DPAP announced that Azad will contest from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat.

“Today the core committee of DPAP met and we have decided that (party president) Ghulam Nabi Azad will contest the Anantnag-Rajouri seat,” DPAP leader Taj Mohiuddin had said.