Ahead of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, former chief minister and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) head Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday announced that he will not campaign for the party candidates in the upcoming polls due to health issues.
The party, which was founded by Azad, a former Congress veteran, has fielded 13 candidates for the first phase of elections in the Union Territory scheduled for September 18.
Expressing his inability to campaign for the DPAP candidates, Azad said, “The unforeseen circumstances have forced me to step back from the campaign trail... The candidates should assess whether they can continue without my presence. If they feel my absence would impact their chances, they have the freedom to withdraw their candidacy.”
Meanwhile, party spokesperson Salman Nizami asserted that Azad’s announcement only affects the first phase of polling. However, DPAP candidates face an uncertain future, two years after the party's establishment.
Jammu And Kashmir Assembly Election 2024
The Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases September 18, September 23, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 4.
The upcoming election in the Kashmir Valley marks a significant moment in its political history, being the first since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which led to the division of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since June 2018, when the BJP withdrew from the coalition government led by Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP, leading to the imposition of Governor’s Rule and the dissolution of the Assembly by then-Governor Satya Pal Malik.