JAMMU, Aug 27: The BJP high command today unveiled the list of candidates for the 2nd and 3rd phases of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, with only one change from the previously withheld list. The party announced 29 candidates in total—10 for the 2nd phase and 19 for the 3rd phase.
The single alteration in the candidate lineup is for the newly created Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Assembly seat, where former MLA Baldev Raj Sharma has been given the party’s mandate. This replaces the initial candidate, Kuldeep Dubey, who was listed yesterday.
In the updated list for the 2nd phase, Ashok Bhat has been nominated for Habbakadal, Mohd Akram Chowdhary for Gulabgarh (ST), Kuldeep Dubey for Reasi, and Kuldeep Raj Sharma for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. Other candidates include Thakur Randhir Singh for Kalakote-Sunderbani, Ch Zulfiqar Ali for Budhal (ST), Mohd Iqbal Malik for Thannamandi (ST), Sayeed Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari for Surankote (ST), Ch Abdul Gani for Poonch Haveli, and Murtaza Khan for Mendhar (ST).
For the 3rd phase, the BJP has fielded Pawan Gupta in Udhampur West, Balwant Singh Mankotia in Chenani, Sunil Bhardwaj in Ramnagar (SC), Jeevan Lal in Bani, Satish Sharma in Billawar, Darshan Singh in Basholi, Rajeev Jasrotia in Jasrota, Vijay Sharma in Hira Nagar, Devendra Manyal in Ramgarh (SC), and Surjeet Singh Slathia in Samba. Additional candidates include Chander Prakash Ganga in Vijaipur, Garu Ram Bhagat in Suchetgarh, Narinder Singh Raina in RS Pura Jammu South, Yudhvir Sethi in Jammu East, Devender Rana in Nagrota, Arvind Gupta in Jammu West, Sham Lal Sharma in Jammu North, Mohan Lal Bhagat in Akhnoor (SC), and Rajeev Sharma in Chamb.
