DPAP Chief Ghulam Nabi Azad to Not Contest from Anantnag-Rajouri, Party Fields Another Candidate

Kashmir: In a sudden move, Ghulam Nabi Azad, President of Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) has decided to not contest the Lok Sabha elections 2024, from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency in Jammu and Kashmir and instead the party has decided to field party leader Mohammad Saleem Parray from the seat in the upcoming elections. DPAP's provincial president of Kashmir, Mohammad Amin Bhat confirmed the decision stating that the party has decided to field Mohammad Saleem Parray from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat instead of party president.

Mohammad Saleem Parray will now take on PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference senior leader Mian Altaf from the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency.

"Azad will not contest the elections (from Anantnag-Rajouri seat)," Bhat told reporters in Anantnag.

"A meeting took place with Azad and it was decided that advocate Saleem Parray will be the DPAP candidate for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat," he added.

The DPAP leader said Azad has some reasons not to contest -- without divulging those reasons.

"He gave some reasons (in the meeting) and then we took a decision on fielding Parray from the seat," Bhat said.

On April 2, the DPAP announced that Azad will contest from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat. "Today the core committee of DPAP met and we have decided that (party president) Ghulam Nabi Azad will contest the Anantnag-Rajouri seat," DPAP leader Taj Mohiuddin had said.