North Carolina announces pre-poll alliance with Congress for upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections

The National Conference (NC) political party has announced a pre-poll alliance with the Congress and the CPI(M) in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the assembly elections in the Indian union territory that begin on September 18.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Malikarjun Kharge visited 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.

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

“Alliance on 90 Assembly seats between the two parties. The paperwork has to be completed by this evening. Congress, NC and CPI(M) are united. We will work together and fight the elections. We hope that statehood will be restored. No door is closed for anyone,” Farooq Abdullah said.

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

“Our priority is to restore Jammu and Kashmir to statehood as soon as possible. We wanted it to be done before the elections, but we are hopeful that 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 our priority is to give them back their democratic rights. The Congress party always stands with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” said Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress leader said, “We want to keep the entire opposition united. The BJP could not ensure elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The party announced elections under pressure from the Supreme Court authorities. I want to emphasise that the BJP can no longer suppress the voice of the people in Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress is committed to working for the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP’s claims that after Article 370, terrorism has been eradicated in Jammu and Kashmir have fallen flat. Infiltrations have increased and terrorist incidents have also seen a rise.”

The parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir will begin on September 18 and will be held in three phases.