Srinagar, Nov 16: Opposition Peoples Democratic Party Friday decided its candidates for the December 3 elections to four Legislative Council seats reserved for Panchayats.
Party’s senior leader Peer Muhammad Hussain (former Minister of State for Health) and Yasir Reshi (district president Bandipora) are candidates in Kashmir division. Sardar Gurmeet Singh (Sarpanch from Kaloen Block in RS Pura Jammu and son of former MP Tarlok Singh Bajwa) and former MLC Ved Mahajan are the party candidates in Jammu division.
The names were finalized at a party meeting attended by its top leadership including PDP patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, sources said.
All the four candidates filed their nomination papers today, the last day for filing the papers. A PDP insider said Hussain would contest K1 seat from Kashmir and would be pitched against National Conference candidate Ali Muhammad Dar while Reshi would be in direct contest with Congress candidate Ghulam Nabi Monga on K2 seat.
In Jammu, Gurmeet would fight J1 seat and would be in contest with Congress candidate Sham Lal Bhagat while Mahajan would fight J2 seat against National Conference’s Dr Shehnaz Ganai of Poonch.
Meanwhile, Peoples Conference (PC) led by Sajjad Gani Lone today fielded its senior vice- president, Muhammad Kamal Malik, as candidate for one seat in Kashmir division.
Party sources said Kamal filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate because of the issues of the party with Election Commission of India (ECI) over its recognition.
Kamal had unsuccessfully contested 2008 Assembly elections as Peoples Democratic Party candidate from Budgam. The PC decided to back Khursheed Malik, president of Jammu and Kashmir Sarpanch United Forum, on another seat in the Valley.
“The idea behind fielding a candidate of Budgam is to get support from central Kashmir where the party has recently made inroads. By extending support to Malik, who hails from south Kashmir, we are expecting reciprocation from him,” a party leader wishing anonymity said.
The elections to the four LC seats are slated on December 3. Over 35000 Sarpanchs and Panchs would vote for their candidates with each member having right to cast two votes in his/her respective division. The results would be declared on December 8.

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