Engineer Rashid’s brother fielded from Langate as AIP lists nine more picks

Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) led by jailed MP Engineer Rashid on Saturday released list of nine candidates, including Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh, younger brother of Rashid. He will be contesting from Langate assembly segment in Kupwara district.

Khursheed had taken voluntary retirement from the government services recently and it was also accepted. He has been a government teacher since 2003.

Khursheed had already started his campaign from the assembly constituency which elected his elder brother twice in 2008 and 2014. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, Er Rashid took lead of more than 20,000 votes from his nearest rival Sajjad Lone. However, many people and workers of the AIP have blamed Rashid’s party for introducing dynastic politics.

Sheikh’s plunge into politics would mimic his incarcerated brother Er Rashid’s career when he left his job as engineer and plunged into assembly elections as an Independent

In an election programme recently, Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh said that he left his 15 years of government service to serve people…“I gave away my job of 15 years, it is not dynastic politics but an example of sacrifice. I am ready for anything the party assigns,” he said. Later the video went viral and many people criticised him for justifying his candidature from Langate while ignoring party activists who keep party running in the base of Rashid’s politics.

The AIP also named candidates from Sopore, Handwara, Uri, Gulmarg, Rafiabad, Kupwara, Khansahib and Chamb assembly segments. AIP is contesting elections from 35 seats mostly in Kashmir Valley.

Meanwhile, AIP also released its manifesto in Srinagar and promised unconditional release of all prisoners, free laptops to students and start of the Darbar Move.