• PC candidate questions circumstances surrounding Er Rashid’s release
• Er Rashid’s brother confident AIP will emerge single largest party in valley
Langate, Sept 11: Candidates from the People’s Conference (JKPC), Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) and Apni Party filed their nomination papers for the Langate assembly constituency on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination, PC candidate Irfan Sultan Pandithpiri expressed surprise over the release of Engineer Rashid, saying that while the AIP chief has been freed, witnesses in his case remain detained despite their health not being well.
Pandithpori questioned the circumstances surrounding Rashid’s release, saying it raised serious concerns. He urged the public to remember what happened during the previous Lok Sabha elections, cautioning them against repeating the same mistakes. His remarks have added a new dimension to the political discourse in the region as the election date approaches.
Sheikh Khurshid, the younger brother of Er Rashid and AIP candidate for the Langate constituency, said they have no real competition in Kashmir and are contesting against both regional political parties and the BJP. He expressed confidence that AIP will emerge as the single largest party in the Kashmir Valley, adding that people have realised who truly represents them.
When asked whether AIP still advocates for a plebiscite and the resolution of Kashmir’s issues, the AIP candidate affirmed that Er Rashid has always fought for these causes, which led to his imprisonment. “Once Er Rashid returns, he will transform the political landscape of the Kashmir Valley,” Khurshid said.
Criticising former chief ministers of Jammu & Kashmir, he said it took the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP 35 years to find agents for polling stations. “People are frustrated with the tactics of these leaders, which has led to widespread discontent,” he added.
Both political party leaders have held road shows in the Langate area to display their strength. Similarly, the Apni Party candidate Munawar Khawja also filed his nomination papers at the Returning Officer’s office in Langate.
