National Conference releases another list of candidates for assembly polls

SRINAGAR: The ruling National Conference today released another list of candidates for the forthcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

However, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's name did not feature in it, giving rise to speculations that he might not contest from the Ganderbal assembly segment which he represents at present.

Omar had yesterday announced that he would be the party's chief ministerial candidate.

Party's Jammu provincial president Devender Singh Rana will contest from Nagrota while Bimla Luthra, a nominated MLA in the present House, will be candidate from Jammu East constituency.

Mohammad Yaqoob (Sangrama), Ghulam Hassan Rahi (Baramulla), Manzoor Ahmed Wani (Khansaheb), Yawar Masoodi (Pampore), Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Mir (Rajpura), Imran Nabi Dar (Kulgam), Peerzada Ghulam Ahmed Shah (Devsar), Farooq Ahmad Ganai (Dooru), Ghulam Nabi Bhat (Kokernag), Riaz Ahmed Khan (Shangus), Altaf Kaloo (Pahalgam), Raj Kapoor (Ramnagar), Ghulam Haider Malik (Bani) and Abdul Gafoor (Aknoor) are the other candidates in the list.

The list was announced by the party spokesman after a meeting of the parliamentary board under the chairmanship of party president Farooq Abdullah and in the presence of Omar, who is the working president of the party.

The party has not announced candidate for Ganderbal constituency so far.