Ghulam Nabi Azad won’t contest Lok Sabha elections from Anantnag-Rajouri

Ghulam Nabi Azad who was the Democratic Progressive Azad Party’s candidate from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency will not contest in the Lok Sabha elections 2024. The party announced the decision on Wednesday without citing any reason. Advocate Saleem Parray will be Azad’s party’s candidate from the constituency against PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference senior leader Mian Altaf.

“He gave some reasons (in the meeting) and then we took a decision on fielding Parray from the seat,” DPAP provincial president, Kashmir, Mohammad Amin Bhat said. Ghulam Nabi Azad’s candidature was announced early this month from this constituency.

This would have been Azad’s first election from his own party that he formed after exiting the Congress.

Two days ago, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah challenged Ghulam Nabi Azad to contest the Lok Sabha election against him from north Kashmir’s Baramullah parliamentary constituency.

Azad called Omar Abdullah a tourist in J&K and said he spends the summers in London and winters in warmer places. “Omar sahib … You visit your maternal grandfather’s house during summers in London and some hot country during winters and you come here as a tourist,” Azad said on Monday.