PDP to finalise LS candidates next week

Arteev Sharma
Tribune News Service
Jammu, March 14

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) core group, headed by former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, will meet here next week to discuss and finalise the names of its candidates for two parliamentary seats — Jammu-Poonch and Kathua-Udhampur-Doda — of the region.

Sources said Mehbooba would interact with leaders of all 37 Assembly seats in Jammu province before finalising the names of the candidates. The core group meeting is likely to take place on March 18 and March 19.

“Leaders of all 37 Assembly seats have been asked to attend the meetings called by the core group. The PDP wants to take suggestions of all on board before finalising the candidates for two seats, which are currently held by the BJP,” said sources.

Sources said the names of three senior leaders — former minister Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, former PDP vice-president Hamid Choudhary and Abdul Qayoom Dar — were doing rounds in the party circles for the Jammu-Poonch seat, which goes to poll on April 11, while MLC Firdous Ahmad Tak was the front-runner for Kathua-Udhampur-Doda seat, which will witness voting on April 18.

“For the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary seat, former minister Choudhary Zulfikar Ali is the front-runner,” said sources.

“The party candidate from the Jammu-Poonch seat in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Yashpal Sharma, who stood third by securing 1,68,554 votes, is learnt to have shown reluctance to contest the poll,” added sources.

Meanwhile, Zulfikar said: “I am a soldier of the party and will abide by any decision taken.” He has called out a meeting of party workers in Jammu on Friday “to chalk out the strategy for upcoming elections.”

Pertinently, the National Conference has accused the PDP and BJP of having a “clandestine bonhomie” ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

The party stated: “The duo is still in alliance and working hand in glove to influence the elections by deceit and deception. The PDP is brightening the BJP prospect in two parliamentary constituencies.”

Party to take suggestions 

• Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti will interact with leaders of all 37 Assembly seats in the Jammu province before finalising the names of the candidates. The core group meeting of the party is likely to take place on March 18 and 19
• The PDP wants to take suggestions of all on board before finalising the candidates for two seats currently held by the BJP in the Jammu region