Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami is aiming for a fifth consecutive term from the Kulgam constituency in South Kashmir, once a militancy hotspot. A total of 10 candidates are contesting the seat, with the primary battle appearing to be between Tarigami and People's Conference candidate Nazir Ahmad Laway, a former People's Democratic Party (PDP) member. Additionally, Independent candidate Sayyar Reshi, backed by the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, is also competing for the Kulgam seat. 
 

Tarigami, as a four-time MLA representing the Kulgam constituency since 1996, is not only contesting as the CPI(M) candidate but also as the consensus nominee of an alliance between the National Conference and the Congress.
 

Tarigami is also the Convenor and Spokesperson of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, a coalition of regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir dedicated to the restoration of Article 370.