15 candidates in fray for bypoll on 3 seats in Kashmir

Srinagar, Apr 10 (UNI) As many as 15 candidates have remained in the fray for the April 24 by-elections to Pattan, Sangrama and Rafiabad Assembly constituencies in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.

No candidate withdrew his papers on the last date of withdrawal of nomination papers today.

In all, 17 candidates had filed nomination papers for three Assembly seats.

However, after scrutiny nomination papers of two candidates had been rejected.

According to Returning Officer for Sangrama and Rafiabad Assembly constituencies, nomination papers of Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmad and Javed Ahmad Dar -- both from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) -- have been rejected.

Nominations of 15 candidates were found valid.

The main contest in Pattan is between PDP's Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari and National Conference (NC) candidate and party President Omar Abdullah's uncle Dr Mustaffa Kamal.

In Rafiabad, PDP candidate Dilawar Mir will battle it out with NC's Advocate Mohammad Maqbool.

The NC has decided to support independent candidate from Sangrama Shoaib Ahmed Lone, the son of then Minister of State for Education Dr Ghulam Nabi Lone, who was assassinated by unidentified gunmen at high-security Tulsi Bagh area here on October 18 last year.

The PDP has fielded Javed Hussain Baig, the nephew of Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig, from Sangrama.

The by-elections in Pattan and Rafiabad have been necessitated following the resignation of sitting legislators -- Moulvi Ansari and Mr Mir respectively -- after they left the NC to join the PDP.

The bypoll in Sangrama has been necessitated due to the killing of Dr Lone.

The polling will be held on April 24 while the counting of votes would be taken up on April 27.

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