Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections: BJP releases first list of 44 candidates

J&K assembly elections: The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced its first list of 44 candidates for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. 

BJP has fielded 15 candidates for the first phase, 10 candidates for the second phase and 19 for the third phase. Er. Syed Showkat Gayoor Andrabi from Pampore and Mohd. Rafiq Wani from Anantnag West are some of the key candidates who have been fielded by BJP. 

The party's Central Election Committee met on Sunday to finalise the list of candidates for the poll. They are also fielding Devender Singh Rana from Nagrota, Arvind Gupta and Yudhvir Sethi from Jammu West and Jammu East, respectively. Kashmiri Pandits Vir Saraf from Shangus-Anantnag East and Ashok Bhat from Habbakadal have also been fielded. 

The list is missing the names of Deputy Chief Ministers Nirmal Singh,  Kavinder Gupta, and state president Ravinder Raina.

The elections for the 90-member assembly will be conducted in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. The results will be declared on October 4. 

The party will contest the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections without forming an alliance with any other party. Meanwhile, the National Conference and the Congress have formed an alliance for the assembly elections. According to National Conference President Farooq Abdullah, the two parties have finalised the seat-sharing arrangement. The Congress aims to contest 12 seats in the Kashmir Valley and has offered 12 seats to the National Conference in the Jammu division. 

Jammu division has 43 assembly seats, while Kashmir has 47.