Srinagar : From Ghulam Nabi Azad’s home turf of Chenab valley, four of his party’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) candidates withdrew their nomination papers from contesting the upcoming assembly elections whereas two remaining vow to contest with full might and preparations.
Muhammad Aslam Goni, the DPAP candidate from Bhaderwah, from where Azad got elected to the legislative Assembly after he became Chief Minister in 2006, was the first to withdraw his nomination papers and leaving the ground open for Congress and National Conference (NC) candidates to face Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
After Goni, DPAP candidate from Inderwal Fatima Begum, from where an independent candidate and former close aide of Azad, Ghulam Muhammad Saroori is contesting, withdrew her nomination papers.
She was a Block Development Council (BDC) Chairperson earlier as well. From both the seats of Ramban district, Ramban and Banihal, both candidates of DPAP Girdhari Lal Bhau and Asif Khanday also withdrew their nomination papers.
Talking to media persons, Goni said that he doesn’t want to become a reason to divide the votes and help the BJP candidate to win. “Our aim was to defeat the BJP and not to divide votes. I thought it was better to withdraw and provide space to others to defeat the BJP,” he said.
Similarly, Asif Khanday in Banihal said that star campaigner of DPAP Ghulam Nabi Azad’s health status has forced him to withdraw from contesting elections and will stand behind Azad at every point.
After these withdrawals, only two DPAP candidates are contesting from Chenab valley, Abdul Majid Wani from Doda and Abdul Gani Bhat from Doda West.
Other DPAP candidates from South Kashmir are contesting and have decided to test waters.
Meanwhile, other DPAP leaders who are contesting believe that it is the time for the people to reciprocate the love they have received from Azad in the past. “This is the challenging situation after Azad’s health conditions but people will vote for us because Azad lives in every heart of people of Doda constituency,” said Wani.
The two-time MLA, Wani is contesting from his home seat Doda where NC and Congress parties have fielded their candidates for a friendly contest and BJP is also in the fray
