Congress, on Thursday, made it clear that the party would support the National Conference, not the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) on Parliamentary seats in Kashmir to strengthen unity among the constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc. Interestingly, the president of the PDP Mehbooba Mufti has repeatedly announced that her party is part and parcel of the INDIA bloc.
After accompanying the National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah in filing the nomination papers of the party candidate Aga Ruhullah for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Vikar Rasool Wani announced that his party would support the National Conference on three seats of Kashmir Valley.
"The National Conference leadership and cadre wholeheartedly supported Congress candidates namely Choudhary Lal Singh on Udhampur-Doda seat and Raman Bhalla on Jammu-Reasi constituency", he said and added that Congress would reciprocate this gesture by supporting the NC candidates on three seats of Kashmir Valley.
"We have already asked our workers and leaders in Kashmir Valley to coordinate with NC workers at the grassroots to ensure the victory of INDIA alliance candidates", he said.
"All five seats of Jammu and Kashmir, along with one in Ladakh, will be won by the INDIA Alliance", Wani said.
Notably, the PDP has already announced support for Congress on two Lok Sabha seats of Jammu province and the lone parliamentary constituency of Ladakh.
Two INDIA bloc constituents fighting against each other in Kashmir
Although both the NC and PDP are constituents of the INDIA bloc, they are fighting against each other on the three parliamentary seats of Kashmir Valley.
The NC has fielded veteran Gujjar leader Mian Altaf against PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat.
Similarly, the PDP has fielded Fayaz Ahmad Mir against NC Vice President Omar Abdullah in north Kashmir's Baramulla seat.
On central Kashmir's Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary seat PDP candidate Wahid Parra is fighting against NC's Aga Ruhullah.
Farooq visits Congress office in Srinagar
President of the National Conference, Dr Farooq Abdullah, visited office of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress office at Residency Road in Srinagar city for the first time. He entered the office after Aga Ruhullah filed his nomination papers for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.
Addressing the gathering at the Congress office, Dr. Abdullah emphasized the unity of our INDIA alliance and its unwavering commitment to "safeguarding our rights and the Indian constitution".
His visit aimed to underscore this unity. However, he expressed deep concern over the recent "divisive speech" by the Prime Minister in Rajasthan. "According to our constitution, the Prime Minister should protect and advocate for all citizens, regardless of caste, creed, or color. The attempts to divide Indians along religious lines troubled him", he said.
The Congress chief warmly welcomed Dr. Abdullah to the party headquarters and assured full support to JKNC in Kashmir, as decided by the party high command in Delhi. Dr. Abdullah reiterated the INDIA Alliance's stance against divisive actions and stressed the importance of unity.
He also highlighted Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, which aims to unite people from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. Gandhi's visit to snow-covered Kashmir symbolized his commitment to healing divisions.
