The Bharatiya Janata Party and People’s Democratic Party, which have tied up to form the Jammu and Kashmir government, are going to stand for the by-elections in two constituencies separately. By-polls for Anantnag and Srinagar will be held on April 12 and April 9 respectively. The Congress is likely to ally with the National Conference for the by-polls.

The BJP said it would form a committee to decide its candidates for the seats. BJP state general secretary (organisation) Ashok Kaul said, “We have a huge party cadre in central and south Kashmir. So we have decided to contest these elections independently as a party, rather than entering into a pre-poll alliance with the PDP,” The Tribune reported. A party meeting will be held on March 16 to discuss candidate names.

The PDP will field Tassaduq Mufti, son of late Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, from Anantnag. He had joined the party on Januray 7, his father’s first death anniversary. The party has chosen former Congress leader Nazir Ahmad Khan to stand in Srinagar.

The National Conference has not announced its candidates yet. However, reports suggest that NC leader Farooq Abdullah might stand from Srinagar. Party leader Omar Abdullah said they were also “worried that militancy is not waning”. “The Election Commission is supposed to create an atmosphere conducive to the polls,” The Hindu reported him as saying.