Jammu 17 November (KNB): JK BJP released the third list of 33 candidates for sixth, seventh and eight phases of District Development Council (DDC) elections carrying names of bigwigs like Sham Choudhary, former Cabinet Minister Prof Garu Ram Bhagat, ex-MLA RS Pura while the party has fielded former Minister Shakti Raj Parihar on an additional seat from Doda district.
A statement issued to Kashmir News Bureau said that the list was released today by general secretary Dr Devender Kumar Manyal, in consultations with party president Ravinder Raina and general secretary (Organizations) Ashok Koul.
It stated that in Jammu district, BJP has fielded former Cabinet Minister Sham Lal Choudhary, two-time MLA from Suchetgarh in Suchetgarh Territorial Constituency and Prof Garu Ram Bhagat, who had won RS Pura Assembly seat in 2008, from RS Pura.
It added that Prof Bhagat was among seven MLAs expelled by the BJP after much-publicized cross-voting in the Legislative Council elections in 2011 but was later taken back in the party fold.
Former Minister Shakti Raj Parihar, who represented Doda Assembly seat in 2014, has been fielded from another Territorial Constituency of Marmat, the statement read.
“He will also contest Gundana seat on which his name was cleared yesterday”, it read.
BJP Officials stated that in Jammu district, party has cleared names of Nasreen Akhter from Dansal and Surekha Devi from Arnia constituencies.
The statement further stated that the party has cleared five names in Samba district including Suresh Kumar Sharma Falli(Ghagwal), Asha Rani(Rajpura), Anita Choudhary(Ramgarh-C), Ramesh Chander(Samba-A) and Subash Bhagat(Samba-B).
It stated that in Rajouri district, BJP has fielded four more candidates which include Capt Nizam Din in Thanna Mandi, Sangita Sharma in Seri, Rajinder Sharma from Sunderbani and Mohammad Iqbal Malik, a retired Deputy Commissioner from Darhal.
It added that four candidates from Doda district include Neelam Devi Sharma (Ghat), Manohar Lal (Chiralla), Sangeeta Rani Bhagat (Bhalla) and Rekha Devi (Assar) were cleared.
The Official statement further read that six candidates cleared for Ramban district are Swami Raj Bhagat (Batote), Abida Quyoom Bhat (Sangaldan), Kailasho Devi (Gandhri), Rakesh Thakur (Ramban-A) Renuka Katoch (Ramban-B) and Ramesh Kumar Sharma (Rajgarh), adding that of four candidates cleared for Reasi district, Rita Devi got the mandate from Pouni, Nirmala Devi from Katra, Rajender Mengi in Panthal and Chaman Lal Bhagat from Reasi.(KNB)