Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah revealed details of the pre-poll alliance talks with Congress for the upcoming assembly elections. Speaking at a rally in Srinagar, Abdullah emphasized that the election is crucial for all of Jammu and Kashmir.

“If we are to correct the wrongs done to us, it will benefit every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir. We are fighting this battle together for the entire region,” Abdullah stated. He acknowledged the challenges of the alliance, saying, “Joining hands with Congress was not easy for us. We had to sacrifice seats where only NC could have provided a strong challenge.”

Highlighting the strategic importance of the Congress-NC alliance against the BJP, Abdullah mentioned, “In areas like Jammu, Poonch, and Rajouri, our combined effort with Congress will be crucial to countering the BJP. That’s why we allocated some seats to Congress from NC's share.” According to the seat-sharing agreement, the National Conference will contest 51 seats, Congress will field candidates in 32 seats, and five seats will see a "friendly contest" between the two parties.

Omar Abdullah will contest from Ganderbal, a constituency he previously represented from 2008 to 2014 as the chief minister of the NC-Congress coalition government. The elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with the vote counting scheduled for October 4. In the 2014 elections, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 25 seats, the National Conference secured 15 seats, and Congress won 12 seats.

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