Jammu, Feb 21 (UNI) Mr Mohammad Sharief Niaz, who vacated his Bhaderwah Assembly seat for his brother Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad last year, will file his nomination paper along with other three Congress candidates for the Legilative Council election to the eight seats in Jammu and Kashmir today.

The main opposition National Conference has nominated only two candidates, while the People's Democratic Party (PDP)-coalition partner of the ruling alliance could not finalise its candidates till late last night, Former MLC Mohammed Yosuf Taing (Kashmir) and Davinder Singh Rana (Jammu) will file their nomination papers as the National Conference candidate in Council election.

Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief P M Sayed announced names of Ali Mohammed Bhat (Kashmir), Rajinder Singh Chib (Jammu), Mohammed Sharief Niaz (Doda) and Mohammed Amin Bhat (Kashmir) as party candidates for Council elections.

Mr Niaz had vacated his Bhaderwah Assembly seat for Mr Azad. He had won 2002 Assembly election from Bhaderwah and remained power minister in the coalition regime headed by Mufti Mohammed Sayed.

PDP has not officially announced its candidates but party sources said name of Javed Dar and ex-MLC Nizam Din Khatana have been almost finalised and they will file their nomination papers.

Today is the last day for filing nomination papers for eight seats of Council. Scrutiny of the papers will be held tomorrow the last date for the withdrawal of nominations paper is February 24.

Elections, if necessary, will be held on March 5.

Members, who are retiring included chairman of the Legislative Council Abdul Rashid Dar, Abdul Rahman Tukroo, Ghulam Rasool Kar, Ghulam Nabi Shaheen, Iqbal Bhat, Brij Mohan, Mohammed Hussain and Nazir Ahmed Mir.

UNI