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Political heavyweights vying for ticket for their wards

By Luv Puri

JAMMU AUG. 18. Cutting across party lines, senior leaders of various political parties in Jammu and Kashmir are staking their claim for tickets for their wards to contest in the coming Assembly elections. The number from the ruling National Conference has gone up since the 1996 Assembly elections.

It has been a tough task for the NC president, Omar Abdullah, in choosing the candidates. Party sources told The Hindu that the names doing rounds include the Minister, Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah's son, Irfan Shah, Sajjad Kitchloo, son of the late leader, Bashir Ahmad Kitchloo, who is seeking to contest from Kishtwar and Raman Handoo, son of late P.L. Handoo. The sources said Mr. Raman Handoo might be given the Habbikadal seat. The Home Minister, Khalid Surawardy, who had won the Doda seat in 1996 is likely to contest from the same segment.

It is learnt that some grassroots workers of the party have opposed the move by senior leaders in accommodating their wards.

The Congress is also not left behind in this race. Subash Sharma, son of the PCC vice-president, Mangat Ram Sharma, is seeking ticket to contest from the Kathua Assembly segment. Veteran Congress leader of the Jammu region, Master Beli Ram, is seeking ticket for his son to contest from Nowshera and sources said he is one of the front-runners for the seat.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has roots in the urban parts of Jammu, is also feeling the pinch of pressure from senior leaders to accommodate their wards. Party sources said that in the recently concluded party meeting at Udhampur, Shiv Charan Gupta, who is also the legislative party leader, indicated that he his opting out to contest from Udhampur in favour of his son, Pawan Gupta.

It was learnt that at the meeting there was resentment among the workers who raised slogans against Mr. Shiv Charan Gupta asking him not to treat the segment as his family property. Similarly, the Minister of State for Defence, Chaman Lal Gupta, who is also in-charge of the election management committee, wants his son, Anil Gupta, to contest from the three urban Assembly segments of Jammu city or any other place where the party is strong, the BJP sources said.

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