In a significant political development, Omar Abdullah, Vice President of the National Conference (NC), has underscored the party’s strategy for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) assembly elections. On Tuesday, Abdullah expressed his party’s commitment to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with a unified approach, following the recently finalized seat-sharing agreement with the Congress party.
“Today is the last day to file nominations for the first phase. We have given our manifesto and roadmap. We have decided on a seat-sharing agreement with Congress. We aim to fight against the BJP like a consolidated front so that the possibility of success increases further,” Abdullah stated.
Under the seat-sharing pact, the National Conference will contest 51 of the 90 seats, while Congress will field candidates in 32 constituencies. The agreement also includes a “friendly contest” for five seats, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Panthers Party each allocated one seat.
The National Conference has announced its list of 18 candidates, and the Congress has revealed its first list of nine candidates. This strategic alliance aims to consolidate the opposition vote against the BJP, which released its own list of 16 candidates on Monday, including a nominee for the Konkernag seat.
Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will occur in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes is scheduled for October 4. With 90 assembly constituencies and 88.06 lakh electors in the Union Territory, the election is set to be a critical test for the major political parties involved.
