Faizan Wani
Srinagar, Nov 11: Days after deciding to contest the upcoming District Development Council (DDC) polls unitedly, the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of top political parties in J&K, is set to release the list of its candidates for the first phase Thursday.
Sources told that the group has worked out a seat-sharing pact for the first phase of the polls for which tomorrow is the last date for filing nominations.
“The seat-sharing arrangement has been worked out for the first phase. All the parties who are part of the alliance have prepared the list of their candidates and have sent it to their respective party high commands for approval. The list is being handed over to PAGD chairman and National Conference (NC) president, Dr Farooq Abdullah, who will announce the names of candidates tomorrow,” they said.
The PAGD comprises of National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Conference and some smaller parties.
The alliance is seeking restoration of Article 370 and Jammu & Kashmir's statehood.
National Conference (NC) General Secretary, Ali Muhammad Sagar said the PAGD would release the list of candidates for the first phase of elections tomorrow.
He said the PAGD is not fighting elections to gain power but to become the voice of the ‘voiceless' people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pertinently, Farooq Abdullah had on Monday stated that parties under the banner of PAGD will contest polls on their own symbols but there will be only one candidate of alliance in each segment. “Polls have been announced in a hurry and we do not have a common symbol,” Dr. Farooq had said, adding that candidates will contest polls on symbols of their parties.
A senior leader of PAGD told that their real contest would be with BJP in mainland Jammu. “We will easily win in Kashmir, Pir Panchal and Chenab regions but our contest would be with BJP in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Reasi and Udhampur districts,” he said—(KNO)
