NC leader quits party to contest polls

SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu resigned from the party on Tuesday over its decision to boycott the upcoming local body and panchayat polls and announced that he will contest municipal polls from Srinagar.

His resignation came on the last day for filing nominations for elections to seven municipal councils and three wards of the Srinagar municipal corporation.

Mattu had started his political career with Sajjad Lone’s Peoples Conference in 2009. Four years later, he parted ways with Lone’s party and joined the NC. He was one of the most vocal NC leaders on social media and is considered close to NC vice-president, Omar Abdullah.

“Based on my humble disagreement with the party’s decision to boycott the upcoming ULB and panchayat polls, I have just sent my resignation from the party to the JKNC general secretary,” Mattu posted on Twitter.

“I will announce my candidature for the ULB elections from Srinagar tomorrow (Wednesday). I remain committed to serving my people and helping the city I grew up in, meet the challenges it’s faced with,” he said.

The NC has accepted Mattu’s resignation.

The two main regional parties, NC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have decided to stay away from the urban local body polls. The local body polls will be held in four phases between October 8 and October 18.

PDP LEADER FILES PAPERS, SUSPENDED

Meanwhile, the PDP suspended a party leader on Tuesday for filing nomination papers for the ULB polls. Hameed Manhas was placed under suspension for undermining the directions passed by the party to its leaders and cadres that it would not participate in the panchayat and municipal elections, a party spokesperson said, adding that the action was necessitated after Manhas violated the party discipline by filing his nomination as a candidate from Surankote.