Balbir Singh, Agha to be Congress, NC nominees

Upper House Polls

Jammu: A day after the ruling coalition Peoples Democratic Party and Bhartiya Janta Party announced their candidates for the Legislative Council elections, the opposition combine National Conference and Congress have also declared their candidates.
Former MLA Balbir Singh has been chosen as a Congress' nominee for the biennial election to Jammu and Kashmir legislative council. Congress President Sonia Gandhi approved the candidature of Balbir Singh who will represent the Jammu province, the party said in a statement.
Balbir was elected MLA from Billawar constituency in Kathua district in 1996 but has lost three consecutive elections since then. In between Balbir had also joined the Peoples Democratic Party where he was nominated as General Secretary. However, shortly ahead of the 2014 assembly elections he quit PDP to return to the Congress.
Congress senior vice president Sham Lal Sharma was believed to be in race for the Upper House seat but the party has preferred Balbir Singh over him. Sham has won from Aknoor constituencies twice and remained Minister in Omar Abdullah government. He lost 2014 assembly elections to BJP candidate.
National Conference said it has fielded Agha Syed Mehmood from Kashmir for the upcoming legislative council polls. Agha Mehmood is an influential Shia leader from central Kashmir's Budgam district. Agha Mehmood has also remained an MLA and Minister between 1996 and 2002.
The NC has chosen Mehmood in an apparent bid to counter PDP influence over the Shia population.
The elections to the six seats of the Legislative Council of Jammu and Kashmir will be held on April 17, and the counting will be held the same day.