Jammu and Kashmir polls: Three file nomination from Ganderbal constituency

Three candidates, including one from Congress, on Monday filed their nomination papers from Ganderbal constituency of central Kashmir, which will go to polls in the first phase of the five-phase exercise in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Three candidates, including a Congress candidate, filed their nominations from Ganderbal," District Election Officer Sarmad Hafeez said. Hafeez said Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, a resident of Lar tehsil of Ganderbal, filed nomination as a Congress candidate.

The other two candidates -- Sheikh Ghulam Ahmad Saloori and Javaid Ahmad Khan -- filed papers as Independents, he said. Saloori, a senior leader of the ruling National Conference (NC), deserted the party in January this year and decided to fight the polls independently. Saloori was the party's Provincial Secretary.

Bhat, a key witness to the custodial death of NC worker Haji Mohammad Yousuf in 2011, left the party recently and joined Congress. Hafeez said 34 persons have taken nomination forms from his office from Ganderbal constituency, while 15 have been taken in the neighbouring Kangan constituency where no one has submitted the nomination yet.

Ganderbal will go to polls on November 25 in the first phase along with 14 other constituencies The notification for the seat was issued on October 28 and the last date for filing nomination is November 5.

The date of scrutiny of nominations is November 7, while the last date of withdrawal of nominations is November 10.