Sikh community to field candidates in J&K Assembly poll

Our Correspondent

Srinagar, August 13

All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) on Tuesday said it would field its candidates on some seats in the upcoming Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing mediapersons in Srinagar, APSCC leaders also sought support from Muslims to ensure win of their candidates. “We have decided to field Sikh candidates in some Assembly seats in Kashmir, where our community has a strong presence,” APSCC chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said.

He also requested the majority community to extend support to Sikh candidates nominated by them.

Raina, while noting that it would finalise the names of candidates for Kashmir Valley soon, said in the past 70 years, the community sought help from successive governments to address their grievances, but they were never heard and faced discrimination.

According to the Sikh leaders, there is sizable chunk of Sikh voters present across the Valley. “We will contest election on 3-4 seats in Kashmir. We want Sikh candidates to go to the Assembly and raise issues relating not only to the community but everyone in the Valley,” they said.