Farooq files papers; NC will protect spl status, says Omar

TNN Bureau. Updated: 3/26/2019 11:03:07 AM Front Page

SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Monday filed nomination papers from the prestigious Srinagar Lok Sabha seat which is going to polls in the second phase of the general election on April 18.

Abdullah, who is seeking re-election from the constituency, was accompanied by his son and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah and other leaders of the party to the office of Returning Officer Srinagar.

Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination papers, Abdullah vowed to fight "communal forces" in the country.

"I am still young and have to do a lot of work. We have to save our country from communal forces. Our fight is against communal forces," 83-year-old NC president said.

His son, Omar Abdullah asserted that the principal task ahead of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is to protect the state's special status.

He stressed that his party has fielded suitable candidates on all the Lok Sabha seats in the valley who will ensure that the voice of people is heard in Parliament.

"Keeping in view the herculean task of putting up a strong front in protecting state's special constitutional status, the party has fielded most suitable candidates from the three parliamentary constituencies of Kashmir," Abdullah said.

He was addressing rallies in Beerwah and Kunzar areas of Budgam and Baramulla districts of the state.
The NC candidate for Anantnag seat is a legal luminary Justice (retired) Hassnain Masudi whose pronounced judgments and articles reveal his legal acumen and dedication while Mohammad Akbar Lone, a former advocate, is candidate from Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, he said.

"For Srinagar, we could not think of anybody other than Farooq Abdullah. A four time chief minister, he has been representing state in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha many a times in the past as well," he said.
"To have a person of his national standing representing state in Lok Sabha will benefit the interests of state," he added.

The former chief minister lashed out at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for berating and belittling the mandate of people given to them in 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

"Nowadays we hear PDP president Mehbooba Mufti saying that she will never join hands with BJP. How should we believe her?," he said.

"Previously she sought mandate of people at the pretext of keeping BJP out, but what followed was an apt case of political opportunism," he added.

Meanwhile, journalist-turned-politician Khalid Jehangir also filed his nomination papers on Monday - his first plunge into electoral politics -- as BJP candidate.

Jehangir, who is the spokesman of the BJP, was accompanied by former president of the party's state unit Sat Pal Sharma and other leaders of the party.

Speaking to reporters, Jehangir said his slogan for the polls is "stop lying and start telling the truth".
"The people of Kashmir have seen their leaders lying right since 1947. Today, I appeal all the leaders to tell people the truth and be honest with them," he said.

The Srinagar Lok Sabha seat is spread over three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal. It has 12,90,318 voters who are eligible to cast their votes at 1,716 polling stations set up in the constituency.

The last date for filing nomination papers for the second phase is March 26 and the scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on March 27, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is March 29 and the polling will be held on April 18, from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm.


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