National Conference to contest alone in parliamentary elections

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], February 15 (ANI): National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah said on Thursday that his party will contest alone in the upcoming parliamentary elections, a decision that is seen as another setback for the opposition coalition INDIA bloc.

Speaking to reporters in Srinagar on seat sharing, the National Conference chief said, “As far as seat sharing is concerned, NC will contest alone and there’s no doubt about it.”

On being asked about the elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the three-time former chief minister said, “I think that elections in both states will be held with the parliamentary elections.”

Incidentally, several prominent leaders of the National Conference, including Kathua district president Sanjeev Khajuria had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Many supporters and district officeholders also made the switch from the National Conference to the BJP last month.

Abdullah was recently summoned by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) for questioning in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association money laundering case. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was earlier summoned for questioning on January 11 but did not appear before the central agency. In July 2022, the ED filed a supplementary charge sheet against Abdullah in the case.

Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc suffered a huge setback earlier in January this year after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) vowed to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha polls alone in West Bengal.

Recently, the Rashtriya Lok Dal in UP also walked out of the alliance and parternered with the NDA.

Later in January, one of the key architects of the INDIA bloc, Janata Dal (Secular) chief Nitish Kumar pulled out of the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar and re-aligned with the BJP-led NDA.