Srinagar, Sep 2: With assembly elections on the horizon, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) is witnessing a surge in support across Jammu and Kashmir. Led by the jailed MP from Baramulla, the party is attracting prominent figures, including former legislators and top trade leaders, who are joining its ranks.
Despite the MP’s incarceration in an alleged terror financing case, his recent landslide victory over former chief minister Omar Abdullah in the Lok Sabha elections has only strengthened AIP’s growing influence in the region.
However, as soon as the Lok Sabha elections concluded, the party had vowed to fight the upcoming assembly elections from the majority of the seats.
While the announcement for the elections has been made last month, the party has been witnessing a flow of leaders joining their fold. The new entrants include the former trade leader Sheikh Ashiq Hussain, former legislator Yasir Reshi, several DDC members and others.
The process of witnessing the new entrants started from Tral where the DDC member Dr Harbaksh Singh, who quit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), joined AIP. He was later announced the candidate from Tral constituency.
A few days ago, a top-notch trade leader and former Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCC&I) Chairman, Sheikh Ashiq joined the party in Srinagar, who has been given a mandate of Ganderbal constituency where he will face NC Vice President Omar Abdullah and PDP’s Bashir Ahmad Mir.
Moreover, the party today welcomed three more leaders in the partyfold, who include former member of Legislative Council (MLC) Yasir Reshi, a teacher-turned politician, Naseer Ahmad Rather and Advocate Raja Ashraf Ali Khan.
It would be for the first time that the party would be contesting the elections from many assembly segments. Earlier, the party patron Er Rashid was fighting the elections from Langate seat only.
However, the party today, also released the list of candidates, who include Ishtiyaq Qadri for Habakadal, Mohammad Maqbool Beigh for Harzatbal, Sheikh Aashiq for Ganderbal, Adv Javed Hubi for Char-e-Shareef, Adv Raja Ashraf for Kangan, Shoib Lone for Baramulla, Prince Parvez for Bandipora, Yasir Reshi for Sonawari, Naseer Ahmad Rather for Wagoora Kreeri and Adv Dawood Ahmad for Lolab assembly segment.
