LS Polls-2024 Congress, NC finalise seat sharing for J&K, Ladakh

New Delhi, Apr 8: The Congress and the National Conference (NC) have embarked on a collaborative journey to vie for supremacy in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh regions, finalising the nomination of candidates for the six parliamentary seats of the two union territories.

Gathering under the banner of unity, leaders of both parties convened a joint press conference in New Delhi, where the allocation of seats was formally announced by National Conference (NC) Vice President and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah.

The distribution of electoral battlegrounds was delineated with Congress set to champion the cause in the Udhampur, Jammu, and Ladakh Lok Sabha constituencies, while the NC in Anantnag, Srinagar, and Baramulla.

In his announcement, Abdullah underlined the strategic symbiosis between the two political parties, affirming their collective resolve to echo the voices and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh within the hallowed halls of the Parliament.

“The INDIA bloc will contest the polls to help fulfil the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh and truly represent them in the Parliament,” he said, epitomising the essence of their electoral alliance.

The seat-sharing arrangement stands as a testament to the painstaking deliberations and consensus-building efforts that transpired between the top echelons of both parties.

Present at the news conference was Salman Khurshid, a veteran Congress leader and a key member of the seat-sharing committee.

In response to queries regarding the status of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) within the broader coalition, Khurshid said, “PDP is in our alliance. Seat adjustment is one part of the alliance and an overall alliance is a different issue.”

He reaffirmed the inclusive nature of their political coalition.

Amidst the intrigue surrounding Omar Abdullah’s potential bid for candidacy, Khurshid tantalisingly hinted at forthcoming developments, suggesting that any decision on Abdullah’s candidacy would be communicated through another news conference in Srinagar.