National Conference president Farooq Abdullah announced today that his party would independently contest all seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. While speaking at a press conference, Farooq Abdullah said, “As far as seat sharing is concerned, National Conference will contest alone. There’s no doubt about it”.
Notably, the announcement came days after Farooq Abdullah was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged cricket scam.
Questioned about elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said, “I think that elections in both states will be held with the parliamentary elections.”
The National Conference Leader Has Been A Strong Supporter Of India Bloc
The three-term former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir has been a staunch supporter of the INDIA bloc from the start, and he has regularly participated in all opposition alliance meetings.
However, he voiced concerns last month regarding the absence of consensus regarding seat-sharing arrangements within the INDIA bloc. In an interview on senior advocate Kapil Sibal for Sibal’s YouTube channel, Abdullah has reiterated the necessity of reaching an agreement amongst all at the earliest. He said, “To safeguard the nation, we must set aside our disagreements and prioritize the country’s welfare.”
Reacting to Farooq Abdullah’s statement that the National Conference will contest the elections alone, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said, “Talks are going on. Every party has their own limitations. National Conference and PDP have been a part of the INDIA bloc, and will continue to remain so.”
AAP and TMC Have Already Announced Their Intentions Of Contesting Alone
This is yet another blow to the INDIA bloc as AAP and Trinamool Congress have already expressed their to the alliance. AAP said it will not form an alliance with the Congress in Punjab while Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee said TMC’s seat-sharing talks with the Congress were not going well.
Bengali