LS Polls: Mehbooba, G A Mir, Masoodi, Zaffar file nomination papers

SRINAGAR — The three candidates including Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Ghulam Ahmad Mir, National Conference (NC) leader, Retired Justice Hasnain Masoodi and People’s Conference (PC) candidate Choudhary Zaffar Khatana on Wednesday filed their nomination papers for the south Kashmir constituency.

The four leaders filed their nomination papers who were accompanied by their party leaders. The nomination papers were filed in front of Retraining Officer (RO) for the constituency.

NC candidate was accompanied by former chief minister Omar Abdullah while as PDC candidate was accompanied by former minister Imran Raza Ansari. Mehbooba and Mir were also accompanied by their party leaders while filing their nomination papers

Mehbooba Mufti after filing nomination papers reacted to the statement made by BJP national president Amit Shah wherein he stated that ‘2020 is deadline for Article 370, 35A’. She said that then it will be the deadline for Jammu and Kashmir’s merger with union of India as well.

About situation in south Kashmir, Mehbooba said that such elections have been fought in the past as well, and people are well about the elections and will vote sensibly this time as well.

Asked about manifesto released by Congress, she said that the manifesto has mentioned every development that was written in the agenda of alliance. “I am happy that Congress will carry out the developments, which PDP was mulling to do,” she said.

She also said that during her tenure as Chief Minister, a dialogue was initiated for which an interlocutor was deputed while as a team of interlocutors also tried to meet Hurriyat but they didn’t open their doors. “A ceasefire was also announced for a month but militants didn’t reciprocate, so what can I do,” she added.

Mehbooba added that her father Late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed was working to end the bloodshed in Kashmir and normalize the situation, for which he has also left a roadmap. “I have a mission to follow the roadmap shown by my father vis-à-vis Jammu and Kashmir,” she added.

Meanwhile, Congress candidate for Lok Sabha constituency in south Kashmir and party’s state president, told media persons that the party is not resorting to ‘Jumla bazi’ but will literally serve on the ground.

“There are political parties who went against the aspirations of people but we (Congress) will go before the people so that their voice will be raised in the Parliament. I am committed to raise voice of south Kashmir people in Parliament,” he said.

He said that he hopes people from south Kashmir will come out and cast their ballots and vote in favour of elections. “People from every nook and corner of Kashmir after yesterday’s manifesto are in favour of Congress. People believe that Congress is a country itself,” he said.

About Article 370, 35-A statement by BJP, he said that people had given them a full majority but they couldn’t do that and now when they know, they can’t come to power, they have resorted to such hollow promises.