Srinagar: The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) on Sunday released its first list of 13 candidates for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

This will be the maiden assembly elections for the party floated by the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J&K Ghulam Nabi Azad. The party's general secretary (organisation) R S Chib released the list.

The party has decided to field former J&K minister Abdul Majeed Wani from the Doda East assembly constituency, former MLA Mohammad Amin Bhat from Devsar, former J&K advocate general Mohammad Aslam Goni from Bhaderwah, DDC member Saleem Parray from Dooru and Muneer Ahmed Mir from Lolab.

The DPAP said DDC member Bilal Ahmed Deva will be its candidate from Anantnag West, Ghulam Nabi Wani (Nellora) from Rajpora, Mir Altaf Hussain from Anantnag and Qaiser Sultan Ganai (Jin) from Ganderbal.

Further, it said Ghulam Nabi Bhat would contest from Eidgah, Amir Ahmed Bhat from Khanyar, Nisar Ahmed Lone from Gurez and Peer Bilal Ahmed from Hazratbal.

Amir Ahmed Bhat had recently contested the Lok Sabha polls from Srinagar but was unsuccessful. 

Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since June 2018 when the BJP pulled out of the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government. The state came under the Governor’s rule and the then-governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Assembly. 

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has already issued notice for the first phase of the 3-phased Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. In the first phase, 24 Assembly segments spread in the Valley and the Jammu division will go to vote on September 18. 

Voting for the second phase will take place on September 25 and for the last phase on October 1. Counting of votes will be held on October 4 and the entire poll process will be concluded by October 6. 

(with inputs from agencies)