26 August 2024: The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), led by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, announced on Sunday the names of 13 candidates for the first phase of the upcoming Assembly elections in the region. This marks a significant move by the party as it seeks to make a mark in the state’s political landscape, reported The Times of India.
The list includes notable figures such as former minister Abdul Majeed Wani, who will contest from the Doda East constituency, and former MLA Mohd Amin Bhat, who is fielded for the Devsar constituency. Mohd Aslam Goni has been chosen for Bhaderwah, Advocate Saleem Parray for Doru, and Muneer Ahmad Mir for Lolab.
Other candidates in the line-up are Bilal Ahmad Deva for Anantnag West, Ghulam Nabi Wani for Rajpora, Mir Altaf Hussain for Anantnag, Qaiser Sultan Ganai for Ganderbal, Gulam Nabi Bhat for Eidgah, Amir Ahmad Bhat for Khanyar, Nisar Ahmad Lone for Gurez, and Peer Bilal Ahmad for Hazratbal.
Despite the DPAP’s ambitions, the party has faced setbacks. Senior leader Taj Mohiuddin recently resigned from DPAP to rejoin the Congress, a party he had left in support of Azad when the latter established DPAP. Additionally, in the last Lok Sabha elections, DPAP-backed candidates Mohammad Ashraf Mir of J&K Apni Party and Sajad Gani Lone of the People’s Conference both lost their respective contests for the Srinagar and Baramulla seats.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, although maintaining popularity in the Chenab Valley region, has struggled to gain significant traction among voters in the Kashmir Valley, reflecting the ongoing challenges his party faces in the region’s complex political environment.
The upcoming elections will be a crucial test for Azad’s party as it aims to secure a foothold in the newly reorganised political scenario of Jammu and Kashmir.
