Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Aug 27: Expressing displeasure over party’s decision, the two leaders from National Conference (NC) have decided to contest the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir as independent candidates.
The duo include Shabir Ahmad Kullay from Shopian and Dr Ghulam Nabi Bhat from Tral.
Shabir Ahmad Kullay said that after fighting the last election as an independent candidate, NC approached him and promised that he will be given a party ticket for the next elections.
During the recent parliamentary elections, he parted ways from NC but at that time again, he got a promise of a mandate and thus rejoined the party, he said.
However, he added that since the party couldn’t stick to its promise, he has decided to fight elections as an independent candidate.
“I have decided to contest as an independent candidate and filed my nomination papers,” he said.
In the 2014 assembly elections, Shabir Kulay, who fought as an independent candidate secured around 12,000 votes while the NC candidate Rafi Ahmad got approximately 5,000 votes.
Meanwhile, the political analysts believe that Shabir Kullay’s fighting elections as independent could potentially benefit other parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
NC Constituency Incharge Tral, Dr Ghulam Nabi Bhat said that he will fight elections as an independent candidate but added that he is not going to resign from the party.
“This is our party as we have given so many sacrifices for it but will fight elections against the decision of the party,” he said.
