Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: Afzal Guru’s brother to contest from Sopore

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Ajaz is likely to file his nomination either on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The last date for filing nominations is September 12. Voting for Sopore constituency will take place in the third phase.

According to the report, Ajaz voluntarily retired in 2014 and worked in the animal husbandry department as a contract worker.

“If everyone is participating in elections, why shouldn't I? I have a different ideology than my brother, but I will fight for the youth who were arrested by the police in fabricated cases, including my son Shoaib, who was arrested by the police in a fabricated case nine months ago,” Ajaz news channel quoted him as saying.

Citing the recent victory of Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Ajaz claimed that his son was in jail on “false charges”.

Ajaz said his son, who was studying in Pune, was arrested nine months ago in one of the fabricated cases.

He said that if engineer Rashid's son, Abrar Rashid, is campaigning for his imprisoned father in the 2024 general elections, “why can't I campaign for my son?”

Ajaz said he would prove that his son had done nothing wrong and would also highlight the cases of other “innocent people” who were put behind bars on “false charges”.

Ajaz also assured that he would not canvass for votes in the name of Afzal Guru, who was hanged in 2013 and whose body was buried in Tihar Jail.

Ajaz notes that his ideology is different from that of his brother. He believes that the people of Kashmir Valley have been betrayed by every political leader. “Some in the name of autonomy, self-rule and some in the name of 'Azadi',” Ajaz added.

Sopore was once considered a stronghold of separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani and usually records low voter turnout as locals stayed away from the polls in recent elections.

However, there was a significant change in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with more than 44% of voters participating in the Sopore constituency.

The Congress, which is contesting the elections in alliance with the National Conference, has fielded Haji Abdul Rashid Dar from Sopore.

Voting in the three-stage elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is scheduled to take place on September 18, September 25 and October 1, with the counting of votes to take place on October 8.