Ghulam Nabi Azad Not To Contest Lok Sabha Polls, DPAP Replaces Saleem Paray In Anantnag-Rajouri Seat

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference senior leader Mian Altaf are also vying for the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary seat.

File photo of Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad will not contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat in Jammu and Kashmir, as confirmed by his party on Wednesday. DPAP's provincial president for Kashmir, Mohammad Amin Bhat, announced that the party has nominated Mohammad Saleem Parray as their candidate for the seat.

Notably, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference senior leader Mian Altaf are also vying for the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary seat. Azad's decision not to contest from the seat was communicated by Bhat during a press conference in Anantnag, reported news agency PTI.

A meeting was convened with Ghulam Nabi Azad, during which it was concluded that advocate Saleem Parray would represent DPAP as the candidate for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, Mohammad Amin Bhat said.

Democratic Progressive Azad Party leader, Advocate Mohammad Saleem Paray said, "Ghulam Nabi Azad had a meeting with leaders of south Kashmir. Deliberations were held on a lot of things. Finally, my name was proposed and I am thankful to Ghulam Nabi Azad that he trusted me. I will try my level best to meet all the expectations".

He further added, "Replacement is not a proper word...I wanted Ghulam Nabi Azad to contest from here but as a political worker, I am connected to people. People of the state want Ghulam Nabi Azad to take charge of Jammu & Kashmir, they want to see him as the Chief Minister", reported ANI.

#WATCH | Anantnag, J&K | Ghulam Nabi Azad to not contest Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Democratic Progressive Azad Party leader, Advocate Mohammad Saleem Paray named as party's candidate from Anantnag–Rajouri constituency.

Democratic Progressive Azad Party leader, Advocate Mohammad… pic.twitter.com/Zrh4KbHW6Z

— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2024

 

"The DPAP leader said Azad has some reasons not to contest, without divulging those reasons. He gave some reasons (in the meeting) and then we took a decision on fielding Parray from the seat", Bhat said.

On April 2, the DPAP announced that Azad will contest from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat.  Today the core committee of DPAP met and we have decided that (party president) Ghulam Nabi Azad will contest the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, DPAP leader Taj Mohiuddin had said. 

Ghulam Nabi Azad had parted ways with the Congress in 2022, effectively concluding his fifty-year-long affiliation with the party. He then launched his own political outfit-Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP).

This elections will be the first Lok Sabha polls for Azad after he lost from Udhampur constituency in 2014 to BJP leader Jitendra Singh.

Ghulam Nabi Azad was elected to Lok Sabha twice - in 1980 and 1984 - from the Washim constituency in Maharashtra. He was a member of Rajya Sabha from 1990 till 2006.