As representatives of the National Conference and Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti attended both the meetings of opposition parties at Patna and Bengaluru to reaffirm their commitment to giving a united fight to the ruling BJP.
Both Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti-both former chief ministers of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir reiterated their resolve to field one candidate against BJP but at ground level, National Conference leaders are not ready to give any Lok Sabha seat to PDP.
Three days ago Justice (retired) Hasnain Masoodi gave a statement that is a clear indication of differences between two constituents of the Peoples' Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD).
"I am hopeful that our leadership will take a decision on contesting the coming Lok Sabha elections alone in Jammu and Kashmir", Hasnain Masoodi told media persons at Anantnag two days ago while responding to a query regarding the party's candidate on this prestigious seat.
Masoodi is hopeful that NC leadership will take a decision on Anantnag Lok Sabha while taking into account the ground situation and views of the party cadre.
Notably, Hasnain Masoodi had won the election from the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat by defeating PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti in the 2019 Parliamentary elections.
Some NC leaders opposing seat sharing with PDP leaving
Reports said that National Conference president and former Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah, who is the convenor of the Peoples' Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is ready to ally with arch-rival PDP in the coming Lok Sabha elections to take on BJP but a faction within the NC is not ready to leave any Lok Sabha seat for the PDP.
The faction which is opposing leaving any Lok Sabha seat for the PDP, suggested that instead of contesting Parliamentary elections the PDP leadership should support the opposition candidates on all the five Lok Sabha seats of Jammu and Kashmir.
This group suggested that PDP should support the National Conference on three seats in Kashmir Valley and the Congress on two seats in Jammu province.
This group argued that during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections the National Conference had won all three Parliamentary seats of Kashmir Valley and Congress was runner-up in two Lok Sabha seats of Jammu province.
NC Kashmir unit had already resolved to fight elections alone
Important to mention here that on August 2022, the National Conference (NC) provincial committee of Kashmir Valley had unanimously passed a resolution to contest all 90 Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir without going for any pre-poll alliance.
"Provincial Committee members unanimously resolved that JKNC should prepare and fight all 90 seats," the party had stated in a statement after a meeting chaired by the party's vice president and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.
