E-Paper
Iltija Mufti set for electoral debut from family bastion
PDP announced names of eight constituency in-charges for different assembly segments in south Kashmir in an indication of them contesting polls from that particular seat
Iltija Mufti, the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and People Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, will face her first political test in the assembly elections.
Iltija, 35, who currently works as the advisor to her mother was on Monday appointed as the party’s constituency in-charge for Bijbehara.
On Monday, PDP announced names of eight constituency in-charges for different assembly segments in south Kashmir in an indication of them contesting polls from that particular seat.
“The constituency in-charges are the party candidates,” PDP spokesperson Mohit Bhan said when asked about the role of constituency in-charges.
Iltija’s mother, Mehbooba Mufti, has decided against contesting assembly polls. She had in June lost the Lok Sabha polls from Anantnag-Rajouri, finishing runner-up.
Bijbehara, from which Ilitja could make her electoral debut, is seen as the home turf of the Muftis and the party has been winning the seat for the past 28 years.
Her mother had won the assembly segment in 1996 on a Congress ticket. Later, she quit and the Peoples Democratic Party was established in 1999. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Mehbooba’s father and Iltija’s grandfather, had also won the election from Bijbehara in 1967. Iltija then will be the third generation member from her family to contest polls from the constituency.
Notably, despite the party’s loss, PDP took the lead from Bijbehara assembly segment in the Lok Sabha elections.
Among the other seven constituency incharges is PDP youth president, Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, who has been assigned by the party to contest from Pulwama. He also contested Lok Sabha polls from Srinagar Lok Sabha seat and finished runner-up but had substantial leads in Rajpora and Pulwama assembly segments.
Former MP Mehboob Baig has been appointed as constituency in-charge for Anantnag, while former minister Abdul Rehman Veeri is likely to contest from Anantnag East. Former minister and Mehbooba Mufti’s maternal uncle will contest from the Devsar constituency, while Ghulam Nabi Hanjoora will be the party candidate from Chare-e-Sharief. Ghulam Mohiudin Wani was named the in-charge for Watchi in Shopian district, while Rafeeq Ahmad Naik, the son of former NC minister Ali Mohammad Naik, was given the charge of Tral.
PDP had earlier named 14 prominent leaders as constituency in-charges.
