LS polls: Congress, NC forge alliance, finalise seat sharing for J-K and Ladakh

New Delhi, April 08: In a significant political development, the Congress and the National Conference have joined forces to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, with each party nominating candidates for three seats.

During a joint press conference held in New Delhi, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah announced the distribution of seats between the two parties. According to Abdullah, the Congress will field candidates in the Udhampur, Jammu, and Ladakh Lok Sabha seats, while the National Conference will contest in Anantnag, Srinagar, and Baramulla.

Abdullah stated, "I want to formally announce that the National Conference and Congress will jointly contest the elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh with three candidates for each of the two parties. The National Conference will support Congress candidates in Udhampur, Jammu, and Ladakh seats."

Emphasizing the significance of their alliance, Abdullah expressed their commitment to representing the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh effectively in 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 Parliament," he added.

The seat-sharing arrangement was reached following extensive consultations between the leadership of both parties. Salman Khurshid, a member of the Congress seat sharing committee, was also present during the joint press conference.

Responding to questions about the status of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) within the alliance, Khurshid clarified, "PDP is in our alliance. Seat adjustment is one part of the alliance and an overall alliance is a different issue."

Addressing queries regarding Omar Abdullah's potential candidacy, Khurshid hinted at the possibility but suggested that further announcements would be made in due course. "If Omar Abdullah decides to contest, we will convene another press conference in Srinagar to announce it," he stated.