Fourth Phase Assembly Election Key candidates in J&K (Jammu and Kashmir) polls, More than 14.73 lakh voters excersie their franchise, Facts Jammu and Kashmir 4th phase election polling, Fourth Phase live Voting Percentage 2014

Fourth Phase Assembly Election: Key candidates to contest in fourth phase of Jammu and Kashmir polls, More than 14.73 lakh voters excersie their franchise

Srinagar: Chief ministerial candidates of arch-rivals National Conference and People's Democratic Party, the Speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and three ministers are among the 182 in fray for 18 seats going to polls in the fourth phase in the state on Sunday.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who chose not to contest from Ganderbal, will be seeking election from Sonawar assembly segment in Srinagar district.  He also contested from Beerwah assembly seat in Budgam, which went to polls in the third phase on December 9.

The fourth phase of elections holds key to the National Conference's bid to retain power in the state as it currently represents half of the 18 seats going to polls on Sunday. The ruling National Conference holds all eight seats of Srinagar district and Vijaypur seat in Samba district of Jammu region.

Also Read: J&K Opinion Poll, Candidate List , Election Schedule

• On the other side, Opposition PDP patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is seeking re-election from Anantnag constituency in southern Kashmir. Sayeed's chances of retaining the seat were strengthened after senior National Conference leader Mehboob Beg withdrew from the contest in his favour besides resigning from National Conference and has been campaigning for the PDP founder.
  

PDP's rise, since its formation in 1999, has mostly been attributed to its good showing in elections in south Kashmir and some pockets of north Kashmir. However, the party is seeking to change that by making a strong push in Srinagar, considered to be bastion of National Conference.

• Among the three ministers whose fate will be sealed on December 14, National Conference veteran Ali Mohammad Sagar will be seeking sixth straight term in the legislative assembly. Sagar has not lost an election since 1983.

• The Rural Development Minister is up against former trade union leader and PDP candidate Khursheed Alam in Khanyar constituency, which had been considered a safe seat for the ruling party for decades now. However, the competition is expected to be stiff this time around.
  
• Speaker of the Legislative assembly Mubarak Gul will be seeking fifth term from Idgah constituency in the city. He has won the last three elections and one in 1983. He was not fielded by the party in 1987. 
• Congress ministers Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed and Ghulam Ahmad Mir will be hoping to keep the PDP and National Conference at bay by retaining Kokernag and Dooru seats in Anantnag district respectively. 

While Sayeed is seeking fourth term from Kokernag, Mir is expected to perform a hattrick from Dooru.  In prestigious Amira Kadal constituency, Omar's close confidant and provincial president of his National Conference Nsair Aslam Wani is up against one of the richest men of Kashmir and PDP candidate Altaf Bukhari.

The contest in this constituency has been made interesting by BJP candidate Hina Bhat, whose father Mohammad Shafi Bhat was a National Conference MLA in 1996.  Wachi and Shopian constituencies in south Kashmir are most likely to elect a first time MLA as all major political parties have fielded fresh faces from these two seats.

Wachi was represented by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti but she is not in the fray following her election to the Lok Sabha earlier this year. In Shopian, which was also represented by PDP, the party has not given ticket to sitting MLA Abdul Razaq Zawoora.
There is only one former legislator in the fray, Mohammad Khalil Naik, in Wachi who had won in 2002 on a CPI(M) ticket. He is, however, contesting as an indepedent candidate this time.

The contest in Hazratbal and Habbakadal constituencies in the city will be keenly watched as Shameema Firdous of National Conference is seeking a second term from Habbakadal, which has been the focus of BJP's campaign in the valley in view of substantial number of migrant votes. PDP has fielded veteran journalist Zaffar Meraj from this seat.

In Hazratbal, NC leader Mohammad Syed Akhoon is up against PDP's lone woman candidate Asiea Naqash. National Conference did not field sitting MLA and Omar's uncle Sheikh Mustafa Kamal from this seat and instead gave mandate to Akhoon who has represented the constituency in 1996 and 2002.

The other key leader in the fray is PDP's Abdul Rehman Veeri who is seeking fourth straight term from Bijbehara constituency of Anantnag district.

• More than 14.73 lakh voters, including 7.05 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise at 1,890 polling stations set up in these 18 constituencies.

 src:economicstimes

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