JK assembly polls: PDP releases 1st list of candidates

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today released its first list of 25 candidates for upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
The list, containing some 12 new faces, was finalised at a meeting of the PDP's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) on Saturday, a party spokesman said here.
The PDP is the first political party in the state to release names of candidates for the polls.
The party has retained sitting MLAs in Lolab, Sangrama, Chadoora, Tral, Pampore, Shangus, Pahalgam and Darhal, the spokesman said.
Two former bureaucrats and a former Congress leader are among 12 new faces who were given party tickets to contest the elections.

Abdul Majid Padder, who unsuccessfully contested the last assembly elections from Noorabad in south Kashmir in 2008 on the Congress ticket, joined the PDP last year and had been given the party ticket for the same constituency.

Mehboob Iqbal and B A Runyal, two former bureaucrats, will contest from Bhaderwah and Banihal seats in Jammu region respectively.
Among the new faces is Imran Ansari, son of senior Shia leader and PDP vice president Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari.
Imran will be the party candidate for Zadibal seat in Srinagar.