The BJP has released its fourth list of candidates for the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, scheduled for September 25. The list features six candidates, including key party figures and several new faces.
Among the prominent names in the fourth list are BJP UT President Ravinder Raina and party General Secretary Vibodh Gupta. Raina has been nominated for the Nowshera Assembly segment in Rajouri district, while Gupta will contest from the Rajouri Assembly seat. Both leaders are facing significant opponents from rival parties.
The list also includes Eijaz Hussain, Arif Raja, Dr. Ali Mohammed Mir, and Zahid Hussian. Hussain and Raja will contest from Lal Chowk and Eidgah Assembly segments, respectively, in Central Kashmir’s Srinagar district. Dr. Ali Mohammed Mir and Zahid Hussian are fielded from Khansahib and Charar-i-Sharief Assembly segments in Budgam district.
Ravinder Raina, who previously won the Nowshera-Sunderbani seat in the 2014 elections, will once again face Surinder Choudhary of the National Conference (NC), who had defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The Congress, allied with NC, has not fielded a candidate from Nowshera this time. Raina, after receiving the party’s green signal, visited Nowshera today to kick off his campaign, receiving a warm reception from local residents. He expressed confidence in securing a second term, citing the development work done during his tenure and the Modi government’s policies.
Vibodh Gupta, contesting from the Rajouri (ST) seat, will compete against Iftikhar Ahmed of Congress. Gupta, a former Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) and a staunch RSS ideologue, also expressed confidence in his victory. He highlighted the BJP’s contributions to the welfare of various communities, including the reservation provided to Gujjars, Bakkerwals, and Paharis, which he argued had been neglected by previous governments.
The deadline for filing nomination papers for the second phase is September 5, with scrutiny scheduled for September 6. The election for 26 seats in the UT of J&K will take place on September 25.
The BJP has now announced candidates for 51 of the total seats, including 14 in the Kashmir valley.
