Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister in the list of PDP candidates

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and former J&K bank Chairman Haseeb A Drabu are in the list of 11 candidates released by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the forthcoming assembly elections in the state.

Sayeed will seek re-election from the Anantnag assembly segment while former Jammu and Kashmir Bank chairman Drabu has been fielded from his native Rajpora assembly seat in Pulwama district, PDP spokesperson, Naeem Akhtar said. Drabu was welcomed into the PDP fold by party patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed last week after he wrote a letter to party president Mehbooba Mufti about his wish to join the party.

This is the third list of PDP candidates, which was released by the party last night, for the forthcoming assembly elections in the state due by the end of the year.

The PDP has already announced two lists of 49 candidates earlier.

The list was approved at a meeting of the Political affairs committee chaired by Sayeed, the spokesman said.

The PDP has preferred new entrant Mohammad Yusuf Bhat for Shopian assembly segment and sitting MLA Abdul Razak Zawoora was denied the ticket.

Mohammad Khalil Bandh, sitting MLA from Pulwama seat, has been named party candidate for third term.

Raja Manzoor (Karnah), Mohammad Abass Wani (Gulmarg), Mohammad Iqbal Kazmi (Surankote), Suhab-ul Haq (Doda), Firdous Tak (Kishtwar), M Maroof Khan (Mendhar) and Nazir Ahmad Naikoo (Sopore) were the other PDP candidates announced yesterday.

"The next list will be announced shortly," Akhtar said.