An agreement on a pre-election alliance between the Congress party and the National Conference (NC) was reached today when Rahul Gandhi visited Farooq Abdullah at his home in Srinagar. Despite ongoing discussions about dividing the seats between the two parties, leaders have directed their negotiation teams to find a mutually agreeable solution.
This marks the first time since 1987 that the NC and Congress have decided to join forces before elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Farooq Abdullah expressed optimism about the alliance, stating, “The meeting went well and was conducted in a friendly atmosphere. The alliance is firm, expected to be officially agreed upon tonight, covering all 90 constituencies.”
This development followed a productive discussion between Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, and Omar and Farooq Abdullah at the Abdullahs’ residence in Gupkar, Srinagar. The main takeaway from this meeting was that despite significant disagreements on the division of seats, the leadership of both parties is committed to contesting the upcoming assembly elections together.
Rahul Gandhi emphasized the importance of respecting the Congress party members and leaders, indicating that an alliance agreement with Karra Sahib (president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, Tariq Karra) was in progress.
Despite having completed three rounds of negotiation over seat distribution—with discussions reportedly becoming tense due to differing expectations—the parties considered the possibility of “friendly contests” in areas where both parties have strong contenders.
During his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, which will last two days, Rahul Gandhi made statehood an essential aspect of his campaign promises, declaring, “We are here because we want you to have the autonomy to manage your affairs, restoring the statehood that you hold dear.”
Following the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, which removed the region’s special status and statehood, this issue has become particularly poignant.
Farooq Abdullah, supporting Gandhi’s stance, highlighted the region’s struggles over the past decade and declared statehood as a primary goal, aiming to unite against divisive forces in the upcoming election.
In an interview with NDTV, Omar Abdullah acknowledged the difficulties inherent in negotiating seat-sharing, given the desire of both parties to field numerous candidates, indicating that reaching an agreement would be challenging.
In the last general elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the coalition between the Congress and NC secured 41.7% of the votes, outperforming their previous rivals, the BJP and PDP, which received 17% and 8%, respectively.
The forthcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the first since the repeal of Article 370, are scheduled to occur in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with the results announced on October 4.