Srinagar/Jammu, Nov 16: A total of 44 candidates have filed their nomination papers to four seats of Legislative Council in Jammu and Kashmir for which polls are slated to be held on December 3. While 16 persons are testing their luck for two seats from Kashmir region, the remaining 28 will fight for two seats of Jammu province.
According to officials, 16 candidates including nine independents are in the fray for the two seats in Kashmir province. “While nine candidates from these are in the race for K-1 seat, the remaining seven will fight for K-2 seat,” they said.
On K-1 seat, Ali Muhammad Dar (NC), Peer Muhammad Hussain (PDP), Ghulam Hassan Dar (independent), Muhammad Kamaal Malik (independent), Nazir Ahmad War (independent), Nazir Ahmad Paddar (independent), Ghulam Mohiuddin Tantray (independent), Ghulam-ud-din  Gulshan (independent) and Muhammad Iqbal (Panthers Party) have filed their nomination papers.
However, on this seat National Conference and Congress coalition is facing rebellion from their own ranks as Ghulam Hassan Dar is a prominent Congress face in north Kashmir’s Sonawari area. Dar had fought 2008 Assembly elections on Congress ticket from Sonawari constituency.
On other LC seat (K-2), Ghulam Nabi Monga (Congress), Yasir Reshi (PDP), Muhammad Maqbool Malik (Panthers Party), Ashraf Ali (BJP), Khursheed Ahmad Malik (independent), Shabir Ahmad Rather (independent), Ghulam Nabi Dar (independent) have filed nomination papers.
Analysts predict that there would be a straight fight between the candidates of NC-Congress coalition and PDP on both the seats of Kashmir region.
“It will be a direct contest between Dar and Hussain on one seat and Monga and Reshi on the other,” they said.
Interestingly, Peoples Conference (PC) is also fighting its second electoral battle. On K-1 seat, the party has fielded Muhammad Kamaal Malik as an independent candidate, but on the other, it is backing Khursheed Ahmad Malik, chief spokesman of the Jammu and Kashmir Panch-Sarpanch United Forum.
Nazir Ahmad War (K-1) and Shabir Ahmad War ( K-2)  who have also plunged in  contest are associated with MLA Langate Er. Rashid.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Asgar Samoon who is returning officer for both the LC seats said that 16 candidates have filed their nomination papers for Kashmir division.
“Among them seven belong to political parties while remaining nine are contesting as independents,” Samoon said.
Official sources said out of 28 candidates in Jammu province, 19 have filed nomination for J-1 constituency and nine others were now in fray for J-2 constituency.
National Conference fielded Dr Shehnaz Ganai as its candidate instead of its provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta for J-1 constituency. She will be facing Anita Thakur of National Panthers Party, Karnal Uttam of BJP, Gurmeet Bhajwa of PDP.
For J-2 constituency, among others, Sham Lal Bhagat (Congress) Ved Mahajan (PDP), Raspaul Verma (BJP) and Rafiq Chandel (Jammu and Kashmir National Panther Party) have filed their nominations.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Nov 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 17 Nov 2012 00:00:00 IST