Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls 2024: 219 candidates in fray in phase 1

Srinagar: A total of 219 candidates are in the fray in the first phase of the three-phased Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls as 25 nominations were withdrawn on Friday, the last day for withdrawal of candidature, officials said.

A total of 280 nominations were filed for 24 Assembly segments in seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir that are going to polls on September 18.

However, after scrutiny, the nominations of 36 candidates were rejected, while on Friday, 25 candidates withdrew their nominations, leaving 219 nominees in the fray, the officials said.

Of these 25 candidates, five are from the Kashmir division and 20 from the Jammu division, they added.

The officials said 18 of the 25 candidates who withdrew their nominations were independents.

Five candidates of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party, and a candidate each of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (India) and Bahujan Samaj Party also withdrew their candidature, the officials added.