INDIA bloc formed to reduce seats of BJP, not of alliance partners in LS polls: NC leader Omar Abdullah

27 Feb 2024 Evaluate

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah has said the aim of the INDIA bloc is to reduce the seats of the BJP only and not reduce the seats of the alliance members in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He reiterated that the party will not ‘surrender’ any of the three seats in Kashmir that it has won in the last general election.

The former chief minister was reacting to speculations that INDIA bloc has reached an agreement on seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh with Congress fighting on Jammu, Udhampur (in Jammu region) and Ladakh constituencies, National Conference (NC) on Srinagar and Baramulla and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Anantnag seat. Omar Abdullah said there are only six seats in J-K and Ladakh, out of which the party has held three seats. He said that his party would be only discussing those seats which are presently held by the BJP. NC had won Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag seats and BJP was victorious on Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh in the 2019 general elections.

NC leader said there has been only one round of discussions in New Delhi recently on the seat-sharing agreement among the INDIA bloc partners. There were certain proposals put forward by the Congress which required to be discussed within the NC party. One of the proposals that they had has not found acceptance from NC senior leadership,’ he said, without giving any further details. He also said National Conference will hold a second round of discussions with Congress on seat-sharing.

Asked about the delay in conducting the assembly elections in the Union Territory, NC leader expressed the hope that there would be some good news from the Election Commission of India’s upcoming visit to J-K.