election-polls

All the major parties of the UT are contesting against him, including Mushtaq Guroo of the National Conference; Mohammad Iqbal Trumboo of the Peoples Democratic Party; Hilal Ahmad Wani of the BJP and Mohammad Altaf Bukhari of Apni Party.

In the 2014 elections, BJP's Ravinder Raina managed to win the seat with a margin of 9,503 votes. He secured 37,374 votes, whereas Surinder Choudhary of the PDP received 27,871 votes.

From Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami of CPI(M) seeking re-election for the record fifth time from Kulgam to Iltija Mufti of the PDP battling for her family's stronghold Bijbehara, there are legacies and reputations at stake in the first phase of the assembly elections in J&K.

Talking to reporters in Srinagar, BJP Jammu and Kashmir election in-charge Ram Madhav said, “J&K has to be free from terrorism and dynasties. We are focused on tourism and development. Our agenda is simple." Going into the polls, we have a lot of support from the people earlier and now as well.”

He said the BJP government will bury terrorism so deep that it will never resurface again, in the terror-infested Jammu region, which has recently witnessed a spurt in terror attacks.

The National Conference has fielded Mian Mehar Ali, son of senior party leader Mian Altaf Ahmed, a five-time legislator who is now a sitting Member of Parliament; and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate is Syed Jamaat Ali Shaheen, a noted personality of the Waliwar area.

An AIP spokesperson said the two sides agreed to work together in the larger interest of the region's population. The goal is to secure a resounding victory for AIP and JEI candidates, ensuring that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have strong representatives who can articulate their sentiments and aspirations,

Congress candidate Ghulam Ahmad Mir, a former two-time MLA from Dooru, is contesting to secure the seat for the third time after losing it to the PDP's Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi in the last elections of 2014.

While political parties, including the Congress, BJP, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) have fielded candidates belonging to the three political families of the ‘Lals’ – Devi Lal, Bhajan Lal and Bansi Lal,, there are a few more from other political families who have been given tickets.

Capt Yogesh Bairagi fielded against the Congress' Vinesh Phogat in the Haryana assembly elections.

The presence of six KPs in the electoral race makes the contest for Srinagar’s Habba Kadal an interesting one.