The National Conference (NC) on Friday named Omar Abdullah and former minister Aga Ruhullah, who has been among the most vocal opponents of the nullification of Constitution Article 370, as its candidates from Baramulla and Srinagar Lok Sabha seats.

Farooq Abdullah, the NC chief, announced the names of the two candidates for the seats that will go to the polls in the fourth and fifth phases of the national polls.

Omar Abdullah is the third former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) chief minister to enter the poll fray after Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad, who have announced their candidature from the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. NC is contesting three of Jammu and Kashmir’s five Lok Sabha seats in alliance with the Congress.

Omar Abdullah said three NC Parliament members made all the efforts to represent the people’s aspirations in the outgoing Lok Sabha. “In the future also, the endeavour will be to represent the aspirations. Our fight is not with individuals…the candidate but against forces backing them. …our fight is against BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] and the Central government.”

He said he is contesting from North Kashmir (Baramulla) because the BJP and the Centre were using all their resources there. ”I want to defeat these forces in North Kashmir…,” he said without naming former minister Sajad Lone, who is contesting the Baramulla seat. In 2019, NC’s Akbar Lone won the seat by a margin of over 30,000 votes.

The candidature of Ruhullah, who has replaced Farooq Abdullah as NC’s candidate from Srinagar, is seen as “good optics” as he has been critical of his party, stressing its focus should be on the restoration of autonomous status than statehood for J&K.

Farooq Abdullah, who opted out due to health reasons, will campaign for NC and Congress in J&K and Ladakh.