J&K polls: BJP releases names of 4 more candidates

NEW DELHI: BJP today released a list of four more candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, raising the number of Muslims fielded by it to 16.

While Abdul Rehman Tekri will fight from Bandipora, Sheik Rashid has been fielded from the Ganderbal constituency and Abdul Aziz will contest from the Kargil seat. The party has also declared Sianzin Lakpa as its candidate for the Zanskar Assembly seat.

The party had announced 45 candidates on Sunday after a meeting of its Central Election Committee chaired by BJP Chief Amit Shah and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

J-K Assembly has 87 seats. In its first list, BJP had fielded 13 Muslim candidates and three more have been announced by it in today's second list for the upcoming polls.

BJP has already fielded Eshfaq-ur Rehman Poswal from Karnah, Nazir Ahmad Raina from Kangan, Hakim Masood from Hazratbal, Hina Bhat from Amirakadal, Mustaq Noorabadi from Noorabad, Ghulam Nabi Dar from Homeshalibagh, Fayaz Ahmad Bhat from Devsar, Sofi Yousuf from Pahalgam, Tariq Keen from Inderwal, Talib Hussain from Rajouri, Abdul Ghani Kohli from Kalakote, Taj Md Khan from Surankote and Julfikar Ali Pathan from Mendhar.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls will be held from November 25 to December 20 in five phases and the counting will take place on December 23.