National Conference patron and former chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah will contest the forthcoming assembly election from the Hazratbal constituency, according to the list of candidates released by the party on Thursday.

The party has repeated almost all its earlier candidates. There are very few new names in the electoral list.

"The parliamentary party of Jammu and Kashmir [Images] National Conference met in Srinagar [Images] under the chairmanship of party president Omar Abdullah. Party patron Dr Farooq Abdullah also attended the meeting. The parliamentary party finalised the allotment of mandates to the party candidates for the five remaining phases of the assembly elections," according to a statement issued by the party.

The party had already nominated candidates for the first and the second phase of the assembly polls.

The NC candidate from Hazratbal, Mohammad Syed Akhoon, has been excluded from the list. Akhoon, who has won the seat twice, will be given a ticket for the state legislative council, say sources.

Dr Abdullah, who is being projected as the party's chief ministerial candidate, is being fielded from Hazratbal as it is considered a NC stronghold.

People's Democratic Party candidate Asiya Naqash will contest against Dr Abdullah.

Abdul Rashid Shaheen, sitting NC MP from Baramulla, has also been fielded from his home constituency Pattan in northern Kashmir.

With today's announcement, the NC has decided to field candidates for all the 87 assembly seats in the state, elections for which are being held between November 17 and December 24.

NC chief Omar Abdullah has already filed his nomination papers from north Kashmir's Ganderbal constituency.