Click to play videoSrinagar: Jammu and Kashmir goes to polls from November 17 to elect its new 87-member Legislative Assembly.
With the poll process starting, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) has also decided to join the fray.
In another major development after almost 25 years of political wilderness, former Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Mohammad Shah, too, has decided to contest polls.
But this time it will be his son Mazaffar Shah who will be holding fort for his party Awami National Conference (ANC).
"We will contest in 65 to 70 seats and resolution of Kashmir will be one issue. We will press for intra-Kashmir dialogue too," says Muzaffar Shah, ANC General Secretary, about his party's election plank.
With PDP also contesting, most of the political parties have based their agendas on soft-separatism.
The PDP is hoping to outwit its bitter rival, the National Conference (NC) which has given concepts like shared-sovereignty and making Kashmir an "approachable" trade hub in South Asia.
"We are for joint council for this Jammu and Kashmir and other Kashmir. We also want certain amendments like electing governor besides overturning certain central references," says Mehbooba Mufti, PDP President.
And out of power for last six years, the NC expects to bank on the anti-incumbency factor.
With greater autonomy still at the heart of its manifesto, the NC hopes to capitalise on the mishandling of Amarnath land row by the previous PDP-Congress coalition.
"We will fight on local issues at some places and at other just highlight the failures of the last coalition government," reveals NC President Omar Abdullah.
But which party will eventually hold out the candle for people will be decided by the year-end.
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