NC to go solo in Assembly polls, to fight on all 90 seats

Srinagar, Aug 24: National Conference (NC) provincial committee members today unanimously resolved to contest all 90 Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir without going for any pre-poll alliance.

Parvaiz Batt

This has posed a big question mark on the future of the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) that was formed after abrogation of Article 370 with the sole aim of seeking restoration of scrapped semi autonomy of the region.
“Provincial Committee members unanimously resolved that JKNC should prepare and fight all 90 seats,” the party said in a statement after a meeting chaired by party’s vice president and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.
“The participants present in the meeting expressed dismay over the recent statements, audio jingles and speeches made by some of the constituents of the PAGD targeting JKNC. They felt that it does not contribute to the overall unity of the amalgam. They denounced the unfair treatment meted out to JKNC in PAGD. The participants demanded immediate course correction from PAGD constituents,” the party spokesman said in a statement.
“The vice president in his response acknowledged the concerns raised by the participants and reiterated that the interest of the people of J&K and JKNC will be safeguarded,” the spokesman said.
The spokesman said that Omar will discuss the feedback from the meeting with the party president Dr Farooq Abdullah.
NC spokesman Tanvir Sadiq told Excelsior that some PDP leaders at the ground level in Kupwara and other districts targeted the NC in recent party rallies which is unfair. He said that this was brought to the notice of the vice president during the meeting by the members.
However, the PDP said that NC’s reservations over electoral alliance won’t impact unity for the larger goal.
“PAGD was conceived for a much larger cause than just an electoral alliance. If some constituent of the Alliance has reservations for any kind of electoral alliance, that will not impact our unity for the larger goal,” the PDP tweeted.
A senior PAGD leader told Excelsior that the leaders of the amalgam including Dr Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti met here in Srinagar today and held threadbare discussion on the next meeting of the PAGD which is scheduled to be held in Jammu. He expressed surprise over the NC statement and said that it will definitely have serious impact on the alliance future.
The PAGD among others includes NC, PDP, the CPI(M) and Awami National Conference as constituents and the alliance had contested DDC polls together.
The PAGD spokesperson and CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Taraigami said that the amalgam is together in defence of the rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“As and when elections are announced we will take note of it and take stock of things and accordingly the situation will be discussed,” he said.
On the allegations of unfair treatment to the NC by its constituents, the PAGD spokesman said that the amalgam is headed by their party president Dr Farooq Abdullah.
About NC going solo in Assembly elections, he said that he has no details about it.
He urged all political parties to remain together as rights of people of J&K are at stake. “We should fight together for the rights of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.