Jammu: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today decided to field senior leader Muzaffer Hussein Baig as it candidate for upcoming Lok Sabha seat from North Kashmir, Baramulla.
According to a statement issued to KNS, the announcement to this effect was made by its president Mehbooba Mufti after consultations with the members of the political affairs committee, party legislators from the constituency and other senior leaders.
According to the spokesperson this is the fifth seat for which the party has announced its candidate so far. It President Mehbooba Mufti would fight from Anantnag whereas Yashpal Sharma has been fielded from Jammu-Poonch-Rajouri constituency. Former minister Tariq Hameed Qarra has been given the party mandate from Srinagar and Arshad Malik from Doda-Udhampur-Kathua constituency. The announcement for Ladakh constituency will be made soon, the spokesman said.
Baig, a celebrity lawyer highly respected for his legal acumen and an authority on constitutional matters and corporate law, has served as the deputy chief minister of the state in the previous PDP Congress coalition. Having also served as minister for finance and planning Baig oversaw a number of financial and economic initiatives that culminated in game changing programs like the Prime Minister’s economic package and the Asian Development funding for reconstruction of core infrastructure in the state. He introduced zero budgeting, abolished toll tax on fruit and was instrumental in setting up the Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) for implementation of the ADB funded projects. (KNS)