Soon after a meeting, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, National Conference (NC) chief Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said that the pre-poll alliance for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election is on the track and the seat sharing document for all 90 seats will be signed by this evening.
Gandhi and Kharge drove to Abdullah’s Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar after addressing a meeting of Congress workers, and discussed the seat sharing formula.
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and PCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra were among those present in the meeting.
Farooq Abdullah told media persons, “The meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere. The alliance is on track and it will go on well with God’s grace. It is final, it will be approved by this evening. This alliance has been done on all 90 seats.”
When asked if there are chances for National Conference and PDP to come together for the assembly elections, Farooq Abdullah remained silent on PDP and said, “Congress and NC are together. CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami is also with us. I hope that our people are with us so that we can win and do better for the people”
When asked if he will contest the elections, Farooq Abdullah candidly said, “It’s better if you don’t ask me this question. I will not answer it”.
On pre or poll alliance with PDP, Farooq Abdullah said, “We do not know. Let us first go through the poll, then we will look into these things. No doors are closed for anyone.”
On the common minimum programme for alliance with Congress, Farooq Abdullah said, “Our common programme is to fight the election, to defeat the divisive forces that exist in the country”.
On Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on restoring the statehood of J&K, Farooq Abdullah said, “I told you that Statehood is important for all of us. We have promised this. This state has seen bad days. We hope that the state gets all its autonomy and we stand with INDIA Alliance in every manner regarding that”.
Meanwhile, the PDP has already announced its candidates on eight assembly seats of south Kashmir. Party chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter has been fielded from the Bijbehara constituency.
PDP had been kept out of the alliance also in the recently held Lok Sabha elections when the NC and the Congress shared the five seats. CPI(M) supported candidates of the two parties.