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BJP releases fourth list of candidates, fields Ravinder Raina from Nowshera
Raina is likely to face stiff competition from the National Conference, which has fielded former legislator Surinder Choudhary from the same constituency. Congress, which has entered into a pre-poll alliance with the National Conference, has not fielded its candidate from Nowshera.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Monday, released the fourth list of six party candidates for as many assembly seats that include J&K unit chief Ravinder Raina.
Raina, the former MLA constituency, has been given the mandate from his home constituency of Nowshera.
Raina is likely to face stiff competition from the National Conference, which has fielded former legislator Surinder Choudhary from the same constituency.
Congress, which has entered into a pre-poll alliance with the National Conference, has not fielded its candidate from Nowshera.
The People’s Democratic Party has fielded advocate Haq Nawaz.
In the last Lok Sabha elections, the National Conference had maintained a lead of over 4,000 votes against the BJP in Nowshera assembly constituency.
Surinder Choudhary, once a close confidante of PDP president of Mehbooba Mufti had parted ways with the PDP on April 5, 2022, and had joined the BJP.
However, after a year-long association with the BJP, Choudhary, on July 11, 2023, had joined the National Conference in presence of Omar Abdullah.
Choudhary had lost to Raina in the Nowshera assembly constituency of Rajouri district in 2014 assembly polls.
The saffron party has also fielded Er Aijaz Hussain from Lal Chowk seat, Arif Raja from Eidgah, Dr Ali Mohammad Mir from Khansahib, Zahid Hussain from Chrar-e-Sharief, and Vibodh Gupta from Rajouri (ST).
The saffron party has been rattled by dissent over distribution of party tickets with party leaders resorting to open revolt and threatening to contest as independents.
Three party leaders, veteran Chander Mohan Sharma, BJYM Jammu district president Kanan Sharma and Samba district president Kashmira Singh, have parted ways with the BJP over mandate to parachuted leaders from other parties.
Chander Mohan Sharma has decided to contest as an independent.
