Azad, six others file papers for RS polls in Kashmir

Seven candidates, including Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Wednesday filed their nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

The seven candidates, who filed their papers in Jammu, were Mir Mohammad Fayaz (Peoples Democratic Party), Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo (National Conference), Shamsher Singh (Bharatiya Janata Party), Nasir Aslam Wani (National Conference), Nazir Ahmad Laway (PDP), Chander Mohan Sharma (BJP) and Azad.

The papers will be scrutinised at the legislative assembly secretariat Jan 29. Voting for the four Rajya Sabha seats will take place Feb 7.

The PDP and the BJP have decided to fight the elections jointly, as have the National Conference and the Congress.

The 87 assembly members form the electoral college for the Rajya Sabha elections.

The PDP has 28 members, the BJP 25, the National Conference 15, the Congress 12 and there are seven independents.

The four seats were earlier held by Ghulam Nabi Azad and Saifuddin Soz of the Congress and Ghulam Nabi Ratanpuri and Muhammad Shafi Uri of the National Conference. The terms of Azad, Soz and Ratanpuri will end next month, while Shafi had resigned following his election to the state assembly.