DPAP, NC leaders to contest as Independent

Jammu, August 27

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Two party loyalist of Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) and National Conference (NC) on Tuesday filed nominations as Independent candidates from Inderwal constituency in Kishtwar district after they were denied tickets.

Ghulam Nabi Azad’s confidant GM Saroori and NC’s Pyare Lal filed their nomination papers on the last date on Tuesday from Inderwal. While Saroori’s name did not appear in the list of the party candidates announced on August 25, the NC and the Congress entered into an alliance giving the seat to the latter prompting Sharma to contest as Independent.

After filing nominations, Saroori said that he filed the nomination as Independent because people of his constituency wanted him to take part in the polls. “I have been working for the development of the areas in this region and will continue this work. People of Inderwal wanted me to contest and I was not able to ignore them,” he told reporters.

He said that there are no differences between him and party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Saroori is a known figure in Inderwal and has represented the seat for four terms. But he had lost the 2024 Lok Sabha poll from Udhampur constituency to BJP candidate Jitendra Singh.

The Opposition has often termed DPAP as a proxy of the BJP and insiders believe that Saroori might be contesting as an Independent to remove this tag. The DPAP has not fielded any candidate from Inderwal.

Meanwhile, Pyare Lal who also filed his nomination as Independent, said he had no differences with the party chief Farooq Abdullah. He said he faced challenge not from other candidates but from the poverty which the people of the region face. “People of the area know that Pyare Lal is with them in good and bad times. I have worked for them and will continue to do so,” he said.

Tariq Hussain Keen of BJP, Sheikh Nasir of PDP, Sheikh Zafarullah of the Congress also filed their nomination from Inderwal.

Meanwhile Shagun Parihar, who had lost her father and uncle in a terrorist attack, also filed nomination as the BJP candidate from Kishtwar constituency. Former J&K chief of Congress Vikar Rasool Wani also filed nomination from Banihal.