JK elections: Congress chief Karra files nomination from Central Shalteng

Jammu and Kashmir Congress leader Tariq Hameed Karra filed nomination papers for the Central Shalteng Assembly constituency on Thursday. He urged the people to vote wisely and stressed that this is not just an election after 10 years but a “unique opportunity to determine the destiny of Jammu and Kashmir for the next 100 years”.

Karra, 69, a former Jammu and Kashmir minister, also defended his party's alliance with the National Conference for the elections, saying it was to fight “dictatorship” and “reclaim what is rightfully ours”.

Thursday was the last day for filing nomination papers for the second phase of the three-phase assembly elections in the union territory.

Central Shalteng is one of 26 constituencies in Srinagar, Ganderbal and Budgam in Kashmir and Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi districts in Jammu where elections will be held on September 25.

The assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to be held in three phases. Voting for the first phase will take place on September 18, followed by the second phase on September 25 and the third phase on October 1.

Accompanied by enthusiastic supporters chanting slogans in his favour, Karra submitted his papers to the constituency returning officer. “This moment of filing my nomination for the assembly elections marks a sacred responsibility for generations to come. This is not just my nomination but a representation of the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir who have yearned for democracy and justice,” he told PTI. Karra is a former PDP leader who quit the party in 2016. He was a fierce critic of the BJP-PDP alliance in Jammu and Kashmir that lasted for three years and ended in 2018.

He joined the Congress in 2017, a few months after resigning from the Lok Sabha and the grassroots membership of the PDP.

With his victory in the Srinagar parliamentary constituency in the 2014 parliamentary elections, he inflicted the first electoral defeat on NC President and former Prime Minister Farooq Abdullah.

“This nomination is a tribute to every single Kashmiri who has cried out for democracy and every single citizen of Jammu and Kashmir who has laid down his life for secularism and democratic values. It is a symbol of hope and resilience in the face of oppression and repression,” the Congress leader said.

Karra, who took over as chairman of the Pradesh Congress Committee in August, replacing former minister Vicar Rasool Wani, said: “This is not just an election after 10 years, but a golden opportunity to shape the destiny of J&K for the next 100 years.”

“This is a vote to secure the future of Jammu and Kashmir, restore its glory and empower its people. This is a chance to write the next chapter in the history of Jammu and Kashmir and chart the course for the next 100 years,” he said.

Regarding the alliance between the National Conference and the Congress, he said it showed the strength and unity of the two parties against the “dictatorship”.

“Together we will fight for the rights of the people, the restoration of statehood and the protection of our unique identity. The BJP's politics of divide and rule and division will not succeed here. We will not be silenced or suppressed. We will rise up and demand back what is rightfully ours,” Karra said.

The NC and Congress have agreed on a seat-sharing arrangement for the 90 seats in the Assembly, with the National Conference contesting 51 seats and the Congress contesting 32 seats.

In addition, the CPI(M) and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) were allotted one seat each, while both parties are engaged in a “friendly contest” for five seats.

He urged voters to vote wisely in this election and said, “Let this election be a turning point in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. Let us march together towards a better future.”

“The future of Jammu and Kashmir is in your hands. Choose wisely as this decision will shape the next 100 years of our beloved motherland,” he said.