In the nomination papers which were filed on Tuesday for 11 seats of the legislative council, NC and Congress fielded their candidates against each other on a seat from Kashmir valley for which the by-elections are to be held on March 7. Interestingly Congress chose to field its former MLA, Khem Lata Wakhloo, against NC's Altaf Ahmed Wani, even when Wakhloo had contested against NC President, Farooq Abdullah, on Sonawar assembly constituency where she lost to him. However Congress Spokesman, Ravinder Sharma said, “there were no differences between the coalition partners and Waklhoo may withdraw her candidature.” He said that the discussions were on between the Congress and NC, with Congress likely to contest on a seat reserved for elections through the members of local bodies for which the Election Commission will issue a notification separately. In all 17 candidates filed their nominations for the 11 seats of the legislative council. Both NC and Congress have the numbers to win 10 seats. However NC decided to contest on six seats fielding candidates including two former Ministers, Ajat Shatru Singh and Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardy and four others including bureaucrat turned politician Vijay Bakaya, Showkat Ganaie, Altaf Wani and Aga Syed Ahmed. Besides Khem Lata Wakhloo, Congress also fielded four other candidates including B R Kundal, G R Monga, Narboo Gulchan and Jehnagir Mir.

Against Narboo, who has filed his nomination from the reserved seat of Leh, no one has filed a nomination and he will be elected uncontested. Also against the NC candidate, Aga Syed Ahmed, no one has filed his nomination.

PDP also fielded one of its candidates on Jammu seat with its State Secretary and senior leader from Kishtwar, Asghar Ali, filing the nomination on the Jammu seat. His win was almost sure as the PDP has numbers over this seat.

Also Congress has fielded its former MLA, Jehangir Mir, on the seat which has fallen vacant due to the disqualification of Ashok Sharma, who took part in anti-party activities against Congress during the assembly elections.

Mir's victory is sure on this seat, even as Panthers party has also fielded its candidate Rajesh Kumar Pargotra against him. Panther's party fielded candidates on four seats with its Chairman, Prof Bhim Singh, saying that this was to teach the NC-Congress coalition a lesson for its anti-people activities. Besides Pargotra, the three others who filed their nominations were Maqbool Malik, Mohammad Yousuf Bhat and Syed Mohammad Rafiq. NC lived up to its promise of giving representation to the displaced Kashmir pandits by fielding Vijay Bakya. Bakya said, “I will work for the welfare of the Kashmiri pandits.”

BJP also fielded its candidate, Shemsher Singh, on one of the seats.