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J A M M U C
& CK A S H M I R

Tuesday, August 31, 1999

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30 left in fray in Baramula, Anantnag
SRINAGAR, Aug 30 — Former Union Ministers Saifuddin Soz, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mohammad Maqbol Bhat are among 30 candidates left in the fray in Baramula and Anantnag Lok Sabha constituencies after scrutiny of nominations today.

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Mr Soz, who was expelled from the National Conference after he defied the party directive to vote against the BJP-led government’s confidence motion, is contesting as an Independent from Baramula.

Mr Sayeed, the former Union Home Minister, is seeking re-election from Anantnag. Mr Bhat, who won the seat in 1996 on the Janata Dal ticket, is also contesting from here.

The National Conference has fielded state Revenue Minister Ali Mohammad Naik in Anantnag while its candidate in Baramula is Mr Abdul Rashid Shaheen.

In Baramula, leading Supreme Court advocate Muzzar Hussain Baig, who lost to Mr Soz in the last election, is backed by the recently-formed Jammu and Kashmir People Democratic Party headed by Mr Sayeed.

Of the 19 candidates who filed nominations in Anantnag, the papers of Mr Mohammad Hussain, an Independent, were not found in order. The last date of withdrawal of nominations is September 10.