Srinagar

Political party National Conference (NC) has announced a pre-poll alliance with the Congress and CPI(M) in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the assembly elections in the Indian Union Territory starting September 18. 

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with Congress President Malikarjun Kharge went to NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah’s residence in Srinagar before leaving for Jammu. Rahul was on a two-day visit to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. 

In the meeting, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah was also present along with a few party leaders. Minutes after Rahul Gandhi left Abdullah’s residence, the NC president spoke to the media and announced that the National Conference would have a pre-poll alliance with Congress and CPI(M) in the upcoming elections. 

“Alliance on all 90 assembly seats between the two parties. Paperwork to be finalised by tonight. Congress, NC and CPI(M) are together. We will work together and fight the elections. We are hopeful that statehood will be returned. No doors are closed for anyone,” said Farooq Abdullah. 

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Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said that his party and the INDIA bloc are committed to ensuring the restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible. 

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“It’s our priority to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible. We wanted it to be done before elections, but we are hoping the statehood will be restored soon. This is the first time since independence that a state has become a union territory. We are very clear that it’s a priority for us to get their democratic rights back. The congress party is always there with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” said Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. 

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Meanwhile, the Congress president said, “We want to keep the entire opposition together. BJP couldn’t ensure elections in J&K. The party announced polls under pressure in the wake of Supreme Court directions. I want to put it on record that BJP can’t suppress the peoples’ voices anymore in J&K. Congress is committed to work for the welfare of the people of J&K. Tall claims of BJP that post Article 370, terrorism has been wiped out in J&K, have fallen flat. Infiltration has gone up and terrorism incidents have also witnessed a spike.”

The Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir will start on September 18 and will be held in three phases.