Congress-NC come together for Jammu-Kashmir Assembly polls

In a significant political development, two major INDIA bloc parties — the Congress and the National Conference (NC) — have announced an alliance for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.

The alliance, covering all 90 Assembly seats, was formalised after a high-level meeting between Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge and NC leader Farooq Abdullah at the latter's Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar.

The two parties had previously joined forces in the Lok Sabha elections as part of the INDIA bloc. However, the alliance faced setbacks, with Congress losing both seats in Jammu, and the NC losing one of the three seats it contested in the Kashmir valley.

NC president Farooq Abdullah confirmed that the paperwork would be finalised by tonight, and the Congress, NC, and CPI(M) would work together to contest the elections. He emphasised, "We are hopeful that statehood will be returned. No doors are closed for anyone." 

The Jammu and Kashmir elections, set to be held in three phases on 18 and 25 September and 1 October, with votes to be counted on 4 October, mark a crucial moment in the state's political history.

This will be the first election in the Union Territory since its statehood was revoked in August 2019. Media reported that Congress wants to contest 12 seats in the Kashmir valley, while offering 12 to NC in the Jammu division.

According to the Srinagar-based Kashmir.Com, Abdullah described the discussions on the alliance as “cordial” and expressed optimism about the alliance's potential to bring about meaningful change in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Congress posted a short video on X with the caption “united we stand,” showing Rahul Gandhi, Kharge, and Farooq and Omar Abdullah together, underscoring the unity between the two parties.

Dropping a significant hint that the alliance had been finalized, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge shared a photograph of the meeting on X, featuring himself alongside Farooq Abdullah, Rahul Gandhi, and Omar Abdullah. The image, as per political watchers, underscores the unity among INDIA bloc parties as they prepare to contest the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.

Addressing the media earlier, Rahul Gandhi highlighted the significance of the alliance, stating, “When elections were announced in different states of the country, I met Kharge ji. Then we decided that we should first go to Jammu and Kashmir because we want to give a message to the people of the country that representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is most important for us. This is the first time in the history of India after independence that a state has been made a Union Territory.”

In the 2014 Assembly polls, which was also a four-way contest, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) emerged as the single-largest party with 28 seats (all in Kashmir) from a vote share of 23.85 per cent. The BJP finished as runner-up with 25 seats (all in Jammu) from a 26.23 per cent vote share.

Though both parties were poles apart ideologically, the PDP led by Mufti Mohd Sayeed decided to tie up with the BJP, with one thinking being that a government led by the two parties would be representative of both Jammu and Kashmir, and hence bridge the gap between the two sides.

The NC and the Congress, which had been allies until the elections, contested separately and won 15 and 12 seats, respectively. While the NC secured 21.14 per cent of the vote share, the Congress managed 18.36 per cent. Other parties, including the CPI(M) and Sajjad Lone's People’s Conference (PC), and Independents won the remaining seven seats.

The Congress-NC alliance, as per Kashmir watchers, in this elections is poised to reshape the political dynamics of Jammu and Kashmir, as both parties aim to restore the region's statehood and secure a strong mandate in the upcoming elections.