Anantnag, Apr 18: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday filed nomination papers from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir which is going to polls in the third phase of elections on May 7.
Accompanied by several party leaders and hundreds of supporters, Mehbooba arrived at the office of the Deputy Commissioner Syed Fakhruddin, who is the returning officer for the constituency, to file her papers.
Talking to reporters later, the former chief minister appealed to people not to boycott the polls as “this election is about the assault launched on dignity, identity and resources” of Jammu and Kashmir.
“I appeal to all the people of Jammu and Kashmir that they should not boycott the elections. In south Kashmir, they are trying to enforce a boycott. Their conspiracies should be exposed. Vote for the candidate that you feel will raise the voice for oppressed people and for those who have been jailed,” she said.
The PDP president said this Lok Sabha election was not about developmental issues like electricity, water and roads.
“This election is not for ‘bijli, pani or sadak'. This election is for ending the assault that was launched after 2019 on our dignity, identity, assets and resources. It is not about PDP or National Conference (NC) or any other party. The issue right now is that Kashmir has been turned into an open air prison.
“Today all our resources are being snatched from us. An attempt is being made to turn us into bonded labourers. We will not allow this to happen. This land and jobs in this land belong to us. We will not allow attacks on our identity,” she added.
Friday is the last date for filing of nominations in this constituency which was carved out from parts of Anantnag-Pulwama and Jammu-Poonch-Rajouri Lok Sabha seats following delimitation exercise carried out in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022.
With the BJP not expected to field a candidate and DPAP withdrawing Ghulam Nabi Azad from the race on Wednesday, a virtual showdown is expected between the PDP president and NC's influential Gujjar leader Mian Altaf Ahmad.
Azad's DPAP has fielded Mohammad Saleem Parray while Apni Party has named Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, who also filed his nomination papers on Thursday, as its candidate.
