J-K polls: PDP names Iltija Mufti as Bijbehara assembly constituency in-charge

Srinagar: People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti was on Monday named as the constituency in-charge for the Bijbehara assembly seat in Jammu and Kashmir as the party nominated leaders for various segments a day ahead of the start of the poll process.

The party nominated constituency incharges for eight assembly segments -- seven in south Kashmir and Chrar-e-Shareef in central Kashmir's Budgam.

The party named Iltija Mufti, who is also Mehbooba's media advisor, from the Bijbehara assembly constituency -- a seat from where her mother had also made her electoral debut in 1996.

The seat is considered a stronghold of the Mufti family.

The party also named Abdul Rehman Veeri from Anantnag East, Sartaj Ahmad Madani from Devsar, Mehboob Beg from Anantnag, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura from Chrar-e-Shareef, Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Wani from Watchi and Rafiq Ahmad Naik from Tral.

PDP youth leader Waheed-ur Rehman Parra has been nominated as the constituency incharge from south Kashmir's Pulwama seat. Parra unsuccessfully contested the recent parliamentary polls.

The notification for the first phase of the three-phased assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be issued on Tuesday.

In the first phase, 16 seats in the valley and eight from the Jammu region will go to polls on September 18.

The Election Commission earlier on Friday announced the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1, and the votes will be counted on October 4.