The National Conference (NC) nominated constituency in-charges on Thursday for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. With the move, it has again hinted at going solo in the upcoming polls.
However, National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah was quick to add that a final call on any poll pact will be made at an appropriate time.
Dr. Abdullah also clarified that his son and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah is unlikely to contest elections till Statehood is restored in J&K. “He [Omar Abdullah] has already said he will not contest elections till the return of Statehood (to J&K),” Dr. Abdullah said.
Terming the nomination of constituency in-charges as “a move to reach out to people and address their grievances, Dr. Abdullah said, “Elections are far away. The PAGD (Peoples Alliance of the Gupkar Declaration) will sit and any decision (on poll pact) will be taken at an appropriate time.”
In August this year, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had also nominated constituency in-charges for various zones of the Kashmir valley.
The Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference are two key partners in the Gupkar alliance, an amalgam of four political parties that joined hands to fight for the restoration of the pre-August 5, 2019 position of J&K. The Centre ended J&K’s special constitutional position in 2019.
“The nominations have been made to strengthen the party and its ranks. It will help the party. It will also help the needy people. These days people are going through a tough phase. We have been repeatedly saying one Lieutenant-Governor and a few advisers cannot address people’s problems. Only public representatives can reach out to people,” National Conference provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani said.
