Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah on Friday provided insight into the pre-poll alliance talks with the Congress for the upcoming assembly elections in the Union Territory. Speaking at a rally held at the party headquarters in Srinagar, the former chief minister outlined the significance of the alliance and the sacrifices made by his party in the seat-sharing arrangement.
Omar Abdullah explained that the decision to join forces with the Congress was not an easy one. “We had to sacrifice those seats where we knew only the NC can give a tough fight,” he said, as quoted by PTI. Despite the challenges, Abdullah stressed that the alliance is crucial for the collective fight to undo the wrongs done to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Congress-NC alliance is seen as a united front against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has gained significant ground in the region. Omar Abdullah highlighted that in several constituencies, such as the low-lying areas of Jammu, Poonch, and Rajouri, a combined effort by the Congress and NC could effectively challenge the BJP. “That is why we gave the Congress some seats here from the NC’s kitty,” he added.
Under the seat-sharing agreement, the National Conference will contest 51 seats, while Congress will fight in 32. Five seats will see a “friendly contest” between the two allies. Omar Abdullah himself is contesting from Ganderbal, a constituency he previously represented from 2008 to 2014 during his tenure as chief minister under the NC-Congress coalition government.
The Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for October 4. In the previous 2014 elections, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secured 28 seats, followed by the BJP with 25, the National Conference with 15, and the Congress with 12.
As the elections draw closer, the Congress-NC alliance will be closely watched, especially in key battlegrounds, as they attempt to counter the BJP’s influence in the region.