Ahead of Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, the Congress and the National Conference announced a pre-poll alliance on Thursday. It was announced soon after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge met NC chief Farooq Abdullah. After the meeting was over, Farooq said that the Congress-NC will fight on all 90 seats in the assembly polls.
After meeting with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah said the meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere and the alliance is on track and it will go on well with God’s grace. “It is final, it will be approved by this evening…This (alliance) has been done on all 90 seats,” he said.
When asked if there are chances for the National Conference and PDP to come together for J&K elections, NC president Farooq Abdullah said, “Congress and we (NC) are together. Tarigami sahab (CPM’s M.Y. Tarigami) is also with us. I hope that our people are with us so that we can win and do better for the people…”
Prior to the meeting, Rahul Gandhi told reporters that there will be an alliance (for the assembly elections) but it will be done while maintaining the respect of the workers of the Congress party.”There will be an alliance (for the assembly elections) but it will be while maintaining the respect of the workers of the Congress party,” Rahul Gandhi told reporters.
Rahul Gandhi said, “It is our priority in the Congress Party and also in the INDIA alliance to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible. We had expected that this would be done prior to the elections but elections have been declared. It is a step forward and we are hoping that statehood would be restored as soon as possible and the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, democratic rights will be restored to them”.
He deplored that this is the first time since independence that a state has become union territory. This has never happened before. Union territories have become states but it is the first time that a State has become a Union Territory, he added.