National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah announced on Thursday that his party has solidified an alliance with the Congress to contest all 90 assembly seats in Jammu & Kashmir. He also mentioned that they are open to including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the elections, suggesting the possibility of the three INDIA bloc members uniting in the Kashmir political field.
This announcement came shortly after Abdullah met with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with his son and NC vice president Omar Abdullah, in Srinagar."We had a productive meeting in a cordial atmosphere, and the alliance is progressing well. The partnership is confirmed and will cover all 90 seats.
Our shared goal is to stand united and overcome the divisive forces in the country," Abdullah said, adding that the two parties will soon finalize a seat-sharing agreement.The first assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir in a decade will take place in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. These elections will be the first in the Jammu And Kashmir since its special status and statehood were revoked five years ago, and they are expected to be a significant step toward restoring the Union territory's statehood.
"Restoring statehood is crucial for all of us, and it’s a promise that has been made. This state has endured difficult times, and we are hopeful it will be restored with full powers. We stand united with the INDIA bloc in this effort," Abdullah said, noting that former MLA and CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami has also offered his support. Sources in the Congress leader, speaking anonymously, mentioned that the NC is expected to contest approximately 50 seats, while Congress may field candidates in 35-38 seats, with room to accommodate some allies.
In 2008, the NC and Congress formed a post-election alliance, with Omar Abdullah serving as chief minister. However, the two parties did not join forces for the 2014 elections, opting instead to contest all seats separately. In that election, the PDP emerged as the largest party with 28 seats and formed an unlikely coalition with the BJP, which won 25 seats. This coalition, however, collapsed in early 2018 when the BJP withdrew its support, leading to the imposition of Governor’s Rule. The NC secured 15 seats in the 2014 elections, while Congress won 12.
When asked about the possibility of the PDP joining the alliance, Abdullah responded, "Let's focus on the elections first, and then we can consider those options. We're not closing the door on anyone."Despite being part of the INDIA bloc and the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), the relationship between the NC and PDP remains strained.
The two leading regional parties failed to agree on a seat-sharing arrangement for the recent Lok Sabha elections, each accusing the other of breaching the coalition agreement. In the end, the NC partnered with Congress for the polls, winning two of the three seats it contested, while Congress did not secure any seats. The PDP also failed to win a single Lok Sabha seat.
The upcoming tripartite electoral competition will mark the inaugural assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir following a contentious delimitation process that designated 47 assembly seats for Kashmir and 43 for Jammu. During this process, the panel allocated six extra seats to Jammu and one to Kashmir, leading to accusations from the Opposition that the scales were tipping toward the Hindu-majority region of Jammu.
Additionally, the panel introduced the reservation of nine seats for scheduled tribes, a precedent-setting move, as well as the renaming of certain assembly constituencies. Embracing the alliance, Tarigami expressed, "It is imperative for the secular parties to unite and overcome the current ruling establishment, which has been eroding the constitutional safeguards meant for Jammu & Kashmir."
In a meeting with the leaders of the party's J&K unit, Kharge emphasized that the unity of the Opposition can effectively challenge the BJP, as evidenced by the outcomes of the Lok Sabha elections."We are eager to unite with other parties in Jammu & Kashmir for the upcoming elections. Our previous collaborative efforts have been fruitful, as demonstrated by our performance in the Lok Sabha polls," he stated.
In the meantime, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy issued a challenge to the Congress, seeking clarity on their position regarding Article 370 and the National Conference's proposal for its abrogation. "Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi need to address the nation regarding the National Conference's resolution.
Tarun Chugh has raised doubts, and they must also elucidate the Congress' stance on Article 370," stated Reddy, who serves as the BJP’s lead for election matters in Jammu and Kashmir, during a press briefing at the BJP headquarters.