Veteran politician and founder of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Ghulam Nabi Azad could not muster the guts to join the electoral battlefield of the much-talked-about Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary seat.
Sources said that during a meeting held at Anantnag this afternoon, DPAP decided that Azad will not contest elections on this prestigious seat.
“Ghulam Nabi Azad will not contest Lok Sabha Election 2024 from Anantnag-Rajiouri constituency. DPAP would field advocate Mohammed Saleem Parrey from the seat”, the News 18 channel reported.
Although there is no confirmation from the DPAP, reports are suggesting that Azad is unlikely to contest the election on the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat.
Within days after his party nominated him for the prestigious Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, the veteran politician and chairman of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman said last week that he was still undecided on joining the electoral battle.
Quoting Ghulam Nabi Azad, Republic TV reported that the veteran politician has not taken a final decision to contest the election.
“The party has announced but I will decide. No final decision as yet”, Azad said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of DPAP, Salman Nizami said, “Ghulam Nabi Azad sahib meant that until the formal process of filing the nomination papers is completed, the candidate’s status remains uncertain. However, Our confirmed candidate for Anantnag-Rajouri seat is our chairman, Ghulam Nabi Azad sahib, filing nominations on either 18th or 19th April. Please disregard any rumors”.
On April 2, the DPAP announced that former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will contest the Lok Sabha election on the Anantnag-Rajouri seat.
He left the Congress party in 2022 after being with them for 50 years and started his own party called DPAP.
“The DPAP 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 said.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Azad had lost from Udhampur constituency to BJP leader Dr. Jitendra Singh by more than 60,000 votes.
The Anantnag constituency, which spreads across the Pir Panjal range to include Rajouri and Poonch areas after delimitation, will go to polls on May 7 in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections.
The notification will be issued on April 12 while April 19 will be the last date for filing nominations. The last date for withdrawal of candidature will be April 22.
On Monday Omar challenged Azad to contest the election against him
Former Chief Minister and J&K National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah on Monday challenged Azad to contest the Lok Sabha elections against him.
“I challenge Azad to contest the polls against me to test his strength. Hiding behind a camera and giving statements against the NC is very easy. If he is a man, let him fight against me. I will see how many votes he gets,” Abdullah told media persons at Banihal.
Omar Abdullah dubbed the ‘bucket’ election symbol of the DPAP a “dustbin” and cautioned the people against the nefarious designs of Ghulam Nabi Azad.
“While launching his party in 2022, Ghulam Nabi Azad had claimed to make DPAP a national party but now this political outfit is confined only to one Lok Sabha seat of J&K”, Omar pointed out and added that Azad has fielded GM Saroori on this seat only to divide non-BJP votes to facilitate the victory of ruling party candidate.
“Had Azad serious about contesting elections he would have himself contest the election on the Udhampur-Doda seat?”, he asked and predicted that Azad would not contest the election on Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat.
“Azad could not muster the guts to contest the election against our candidate Mian Altaf Ahmed so I am sure that he will not join the electoral battle”, he said and cautioned the people against gameplan of Ghulam Nabi Azad.
“Why Ghulam Nabi Azad has not announced any candidate for the Srinagar, Baramulla, or Jammu seats? Why he is focussing only on the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha constituency?”, he asked.
Taking a dig at Azad for, what he alleged, playing in the BJP, Omar said that a national leader has downgraded himself as a leader of a Parliamentary constituency.
