Srinagar, Apr 4: Jammu Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) has kickstarted its campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by announcing its candidates for key parliamentary seats.
The party, led by former J&K Minister Altaf Bukhari, revealed Zafar Iqbal Manhas as its candidate for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat and Ashraf Mir for the Srinagar seat. Dilawar Mir, the general secretary of the Apni Party, made the announcement in Srinagar on Thursday.
Altaf Bukhari, who parted ways with the PDP in 2020 to form the Jammu Kashmir Apni Party, has positioned his party as a formidable contender in the upcoming polls.
With the Election Commission allotting the ‘Bat' symbol to the party, JKAP has emerged as the first political outfit to name its candidate for the Srinagar constituency.
Meanwhile, the National Conference has nominated former Kangan MLA Mian Altaf for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat. Further, DPAP chief Ghulam Nabi Azad has declared his candidacy for the same seat. This has set the stage for a multi-cornered battle.
Speculation had been rife regarding a possible alliance between DPAP and Apni Party, but recent developments suggest otherwise, with both parties opting to chart their independent electoral paths.
In response to queries about a potential alliance, DPAP indicated that discussions had not progressed significantly, emphasizing the need for each party to focus on its own electoral strategies.
As political maneuvering intensifies, the BJP's strategy for the upcoming elections remains undisclosed.
Elections are to be held on five Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir. In the first phase, elections will be held on Udhampur seat on April 19. In the second phase, elections will be held on Jammu seat on April 26, in the third phase on May 7, on Anantnag-Rajouri seat, in the fourth phase, on Srinagar seat on May 13 and in the fifth phase, on May 20, elections will be held on Baramulla seat.
