Srinagar: The Bharatiya Janata Party has not fielded any candidate in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat in Kashmir.
The last date to submit the nomination papers for the constituency ended on Friday.
The returning officer of the constituency, Syed Fakhruddin, said that 25 candidates have filed their nominations.
“The nomination papers will be taken up for scrutiny tomorrow,” he said.
With the absence of BJP, the Anantnag- Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency that would go to polls on May 7, would see a direct contest between the former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party candidate Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference’s influential Gujjar leader Mian Altaf.
The two parties till recently were part of the Opposition INDIA alliance.
Democratic Party of Azad Kashmir (DPAP) candidate Mohammad Saleem Parray and Apni Party Zaffar Manhas are the other prominent names contesting polls from Anantnag-Rajouri seat.
Recently at a rally in Jammu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had hinted at not fielding candidates for three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir. However, the BJP cadre in south Kashmir is baffled at the party decision of not contesting polls.
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah hit out at BJP saying the party has not left the ground in Kashmir but was commanding the situation from the back.
The NC leader alleged that BJP was supporting “proxy candidates” in Kashmir.
“Had BJP left the ground it would have some meaning, but this is not the case … They are commanding the situation from the back”, Omar asserted on Friday.
There are over 18 lakh voters in the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary constituency which is spread from Anantnag in south Kashmir to Poonch in Pir Panjal after delimitation.

KR Desk