Mon Oct 07 18:21:21 UTC 2024: ## Jamaat-e-Islami Candidate Hopes to Serve People Through Elections
**Bandipora, October 1:** Hafiz Mohammad Sikander, a Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) backed candidate for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, expressed his intention to serve the people democratically through participation in elections. Sikander, who cast his vote at the Gundpora polling station, said that JeI had refrained from elections since 1987, protesting alleged rigging of polls. “We believe participating in elections is necessary now, as we aim to serve the people democratically, addressing their concerns and issues that have been ignored,” he stated.
The 32-year-old candidate stressed that JeI wants to fight for justice and highlight the concerns of the people on a larger scale. Despite facing challenges due to a GPS tracker attached to his ankle, which he says made some people wary, Sikander believes the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir is improving. He highlighted the lack of elected representatives for over a decade, saying that “with the elections held in J&K, we hope that elected representatives will address the common issues faced by the region.”
The elections are being held in three phases, with the final phase covering 40 assembly constituencies across seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
First Piper 