Jammu: The Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Congress Party has unveiled its list of 19 candidates for the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. This strategic move includes a mix of former Ministers, MLAs, and District Development Councillors (DDCs), signaling a robust push by the party in the upcoming polls.
Key Candidates Announced
Among the prominent figures fielded by Congress are six former Ministers:
Dr. Manohar Lal Sharma – Contesting from the Billawar Assembly segment.
Choudhary Lal Singh – Running in the Basohli Assembly constituency.
Raman Bhalla – Competing in RS Pura-Jammu South.
Yogesh Sawhney – Fielded from Jammu East.
Yashpal Kundal – Contesting in Ramgarh.
Mula Ram – Running from the Marh Assembly segment.
In addition to these former Ministers, the list includes:
Haji Abdul Rashid Dar – Former MLA contesting from Sopore.
Thakur Balbir Singh – Former MLA running in Jasrota.
Two current District Development Councillors (DDCs) are also part of the lineup:
Taranjeet Singh Tony – An Independent DDC who has joined Congress and will contest from the newly created Bahu Assembly constituency.
Mool Raj – A former BJP member who resigned to run from the Ramnagar constituency.
Additional candidates include:
Irshad Ab Gani – Contesting from Langate.
Advocate Irfan Hafeez Lone – Running in Wagoora Kreeri.
Summit Mangotra – Fielded from Udhampur West.
Kajal Rajput – Contesting in Bani.
Rakesh Choudhary Jatt – Running in Hiranagar.
Krishan Dev Singh – Fielded from Samba.
Neeraj Kundan – Contesting in Bishnah.
Balbir Singh – Running in Nagrota.
Joint Candidates with NC
As part of the NC-Congress alliance, several joint candidates have been fielded:
Ajay Sadhotra (NC) – Running in Jammu North.
Sunil Verma (NC) – Contesting in Udhampur East.
Harsh Dev Singh (National Panthers Party India) – Fielded in Chenani.
Rajesh Pargotra (NC) – Running in Vijaypur, Samba District.
Subash Chander Azad (NC) – Contesting in Kathua.
Unfilled Constituencies
Notably, the Congress Party has not yet announced candidates for the Chhamb, Akhnoor, and Suchetgarh Assembly segments in Jammu district.
