BJP releases 6th list of 10 candidates for J&K Assembly elections

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its sixth list of 10 candidates for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections on Sunday, September 8. The sixth list includes names of Bharat Bhushan, Abdul Rashid Khan, RS Pathania, Idrees Karnahi and Naseer Ahmad Lone.

As per the list, Bharat Bhushan has been fielded from Kahua and RS Pathania from Udhampur East. Here's the full list:

1. Karnah: Idrees Karnahi
2. Handwara; Abdul Ghulam Mohammad Mir
3. Sonawari: Abdul Rashid Khan
4. Bandipora: Naseer Ahmad Lone
5. Gurez" Faqir Mohammad Khan
6. Udampur East: RS Pathania
7. Kathua: Bharat Bhushan
8. Bishnah" Rajeev Bhagar
9. Bahu: Vikram Randhawa
10. Marh (SC): Surinder Bhagat

Jammu and Kashmir will witness elections after a gap of 10 years, as the last assembly election was held in 2014. Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8.

The PDP-BJP coalition government fell in June 2018 when the latter withdrew support to the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti. In December of last year, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to conclude the election process by September 30, 2024.

In the previous Assembly elections, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 25, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) won 15, and the Congress won 12.

These upcoming elections will be the first in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.

On September 5, the Election Commission of India issued a notification for the third and final phase of the Legislative Assembly polls for Jammu and Kashmir.

Ahead of the assembly elections, the Election Commission prohibited the release of exit polls by media outlets or in any other manner during the assembly elections-2024 for Jammu and Kashmir under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, an official spokesman said.

(With inputs from agencies)