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J&K polls: With Jamaat forging alliance with Rashid’s AIP, NC says all of it happening at behest of BJP

J&K polls: With Jamaat forging alliance with Rashid’s AIP, NC says all of it happening at behest of BJP

J&K: MP Engineer Rashid's Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) has forged an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI)

In a fresh twist in the political arena of Jammu and Kashmir, Engineer Rashid's Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) has forged an alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) candidates for the upcoming assembly elections. National Conference leaders allege that these alliances are at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which wants to divide the vote in the valley.

The AIP-JEI coalition said their strategic alliance will champion the cause of the people of J&K. While Jamaat is fighting electoral politics after four long decades, the AIP is also fielding candidates across the valley for the first time.

A joint meeting of the AIP delegation was led by MP Rashid while the JEI delegation was led by Ghulam Qadir Wani. Following deliberations, it was agreed that AIP would support JEI-backed candidates in Kulgam and Pulwama.

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Similarly, JEI will support AIP candidates across Kashmir. In areas where both AIP and JEI have fielded candidates, the alliance has agreed to a “friendly contest,” particularly in constituencies like Langate, Devsar and Zainapora.

''We had a meeting with Jamaat members in Srinagar and after the meeting, we have given a joint statement that we will support each other in places where they have fielded candidates and they will help us where our candidates are fighting. This decision has been taken only to unite together and fight against oppression,'' said Rashid.

Meanwhile, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah has criticised the alliance of Jamaat members with AIP.

''The wires are connected somewhere else, they are getting direction from somewhere else. They are puppets who are being run from somewhere else. They have been put in the field to target the National Conference and the National Conference is all set and ready to face them, '' said Abdullah.

While AIP and Jamaat have come together to fight the assembly elections, it has created a new challenge for the established regional political parties like NC and PDP.