NEW DELHI: The Congress and the J&K National Conference (NC) have sealed an alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid announced on Monday.
The National Conference and the Congress announced the alliance on Monday“Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh will go to Congress and NC will fight in Anantnag, Baramulla and Srinagar,” said Abdullah.
“Many people were curious what are we doing in J&K.... Whatever happens in J&K, it has a greater ramification,” Khurshid added.
This alliance means that Peoples Democratic Party, a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc that includes Congress and NC, would not be part of the arrangement.
“But in the six seats, out of which 3 are already with the NC, it becomes difficult.
NEW DELHI: The Congress and the J&K National Conference (NC) have sealed an alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid announced on Monday. The National Conference and the Congress announced the alliance on Monday
“Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh will go to Congress and NC will fight in Anantnag, Baramulla and Srinagar,” said Abdullah.
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“Many people were curious what are we doing in J&K.... Whatever happens in J&K, it has a greater ramification,” Khurshid added.
This alliance means that Peoples Democratic Party, a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc that includes Congress and NC, would not be part of the arrangement.
Abdullah and Khurshid maintained that there was a limited scope for bringing the PDP on board since there were only six seats; five in Jammu and Kashmir and one in Ladakh
“PDP is a part of our INDIA alliance but in a small state, there is limited scope of seat sharing,” said Khurshid.
Abdullah said they did make an effort. “But in the six seats, out of which 3 are already with the NC, it becomes difficult. We had tried to negotiate for the assembly polls but that was not acceptable to her.”
Abdullah announced that the NC has started the campaign for Raman Bhalla and Lal Singh, the two Congres candidates for Jammu and Udhampur. “We will expect the Congress to campaign for our candidates too,” he added.
Asked about Democratic Azad Party (DAP) leader Ghulam Nabi Azad deciding to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Anantnag parliamentary constituency, Abdullah said, “If he had fought from Doda region, it would have hurt the BJP.”
Abdullah added that the alliance will win all six seats in the J&K and Ladakh. “This election will also be a message on the abrogation of Article 370. This election will also give a reply to what happened in August, 2019,” he said
