Three file nominations for RS seat from J

Srinagar, Jun 5 (UNI) Senior Jammu and Kashmir Congress leader Choudhary Mohammad Aslam filed his nomination papers today for the Rajya Sabha seat which fell vacant following the resignation of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who was elected to the state Assembly.

National Conference (NC) candidate Mohammad Yousuf Taing and Mohammad Hussain Parray, an independent, also filed their papers on the last day of filing of nominations for the seat today, an official spokesman said.

Choudhary Aslam had emerged as the consensus candidate of both the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the ruling coalition partners in the state.

Five Congress legislators, four PDP MLAs and an independent had proposed the name of Choudhary Aslam for the seat.

Abdul Rashid, Nawang Rigzin Zora, Haji Nissar Ali, Abdul Aziz Zargar, Abdul Rehman Veeri, Peer Mohammad Hussain, Mohammad Khalil Band and Soffi Ghulam Mohi-ud-din had supported his candidature.

Senior state Congress leaders Bashir Ahmad Magray and Ghulam Mohd Moonga filed the nomination for Choudhary Aslam.

Among others who accompanied Choudhary Aslam while filing the nomination papers were state Congress President Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Transport Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, P Namgyal, Sartaj Madni, Khemlata Wakhloo, Qazi Mohammad Afzal, Ali Mohammad Sofi, Ghulam Hassan Khan, Syed Bashir and Ms Amreen Badr.

Mr Taing was accompanied by Assembly Deputy Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Abdul Rahim Rather, Mubarak Gul, Dr Mehboob Beg and others.

The scrutiny of papers will be taken up tomorrow and the last date of withdrawal of nominations is June 8. The election, if required, would be held on June 15.

The Election Commission appointed observer Usha Sharma, an IAS officer from Rajasthan she was also present at the time of filing of nomination papers today.

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