BJP's First List For Jammu-Kashmir Elections Has One Woman And 10 Muslim Candidates, Many Former MLAs

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday (26 August) released the first list of candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections with 15 names for the first phase of polls scheduled for 18 September.

The list features 10 Muslim candidates and only one woman candidate, Shagun Parihar, who has been fielded from Kishtwar. She comes from the family of a BJP leader, killed by Hizbul Mujahideen.

There are two other candidates from the Parihar community and both are former MLAs. Shakti Raj Parihar is fielded from Doda West and Daleep Singh Parihar from Bhadarwah.

The elections, to be held in three phases, will witness a tripartite contest among the BJP, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference-Congress alliance.

The results will be declared on 4 October, along with Haryana, which will have voting on 1 October, coinciding with the last phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir.