BJP announces third list of candidates for Jammu & Kashmir assembly polls

The party fielded Devender Singh Rana from Nagrota and named Satish Sharma as its candidate from Billawar, which was represented by former deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh in the last assembly polls held in 2014.

The BJP has made one change from the now-rescinded list, which was put out on Monday, as it has named Baldev Raj Sharma from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi seat in place of Rohit Dubey.

All other names are the same for this set of constituencies, announced on Monday before being withdrawn.

Ashok Bhat will fight from the Habba Kadal seat while Mohammad Akram Chaudhary will be contesting from the Gulabgarh seat.

Kuldeep Raj Dubey will contest from Reasi.

According to the list, Thakur Randhir Singh will contest from Kalakote-Rajouri, Chowdhary Zulfikar Ali from Budhal, Mohd. Iqbal malik from Thannamandi and Syed Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari from Surankote.

Chowdhary Abdul Gani will contest from Poonch Haveli, while Murtaza Khan from Mendhar.

Pawan Gupta will fight from Udhampur West, balwant Singh Mankotia from Chenani.

Meanwhile,  the Congress and National Conference have reached a deal to share Jammu and Kashmir's 90 Assembly seats ahead of next month's election, senior leaders from each side confirmed Monday evening, ending talks on a successful note hours before the deadline to file nominations for the first phase.

The NC will contest the majority of seats - 51 - and the Congress will contest 32, the latter's J&K unit chief, Tariq Hameed Karra, told reporters.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election, the first since 2014, will be held in three phases-September 18, September 25, and October 1.

The results will be announced on October 4.