Raina to contest from Nowshera

Jammu, September 2

After days of mystery and apprehensions about the risk of further infighting, the BJP finally released the fourth list of names on Monday evening.

BJP’s J&K chief Ravinder Raina has officially clinched the party ticket from the Nowshera constituency in Rajouri district of Jammu region.

BJP leaders and workers in the constituency were expecting his name to be announced to contest in the upcoming elections. However, infighting and tussle due to the earlier lists of BJP candidates and subsequent protest by many leaders in different constituencies allegedly delayed the announcement of his name. Raina was an MLA from the same constituency even in 2014 when last Assembly elections were held in J&K.

Meanwhile, Vibodh Gupta, who is the party general secretary of J&K, was named from the Rajouri town seat. Gupta is also a former member of the Legislative Council (MLC).

The party has also announced four candidates from the Kashmir region. Aijaz Hussain will be contesting from the Lal Chowk seat, while Arif Raja would be in fray in Eidgah. Ali Muhammad Mir has been given the mandate from the Khansahib seat. Zahid Hussain will be contesting from Chrar-e-Sharief.

The BJP faced severe infighting after it released first three lists for the Assembly polls for the first phase, for which voting will be held on September 18. Senior party leaders had to rush in for a face-saving exercise to pacify the protesting leaders.