NC president to visit Chenab Valley as party readies itself for assembly polls in J&K

Jammu, Aug 10 (PTI) A day after the Election Commission made it clear that assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir would be held “at the earliest”, the National Conference on Saturday said it is taking decisive steps to engage with the grassroots workers and ensure robust poll preparedness.

Party president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah is scheduled to visit the Chenab Valley, comprising Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts of Jammu region, on Sunday to hold a series of meetings with the party cadre, an NC spokesperson said.

He said the visit underscores the party’s commitment to maintaining direct contact with ground-level workers and mobilizing them for the electoral battle ahead.

“The primary objective of the upcoming meetings is to gear up the party machinery for the upcoming Assembly polls. Abdullah is expected to engage in in-depth discussions with the party cadre, offering strategic guidance and emphasizing the importance of active participation at the grassroots level,” the NC spokesperson said.

He said these meetings would serve as a platform to align the party’s goals and strategies with the aspirations of the people of the Chenab Valley.

Several key NC leaders, including Rattan Lal Gupta, Khalid Najeev Suharwardy, Sajjad Kitchloo, Vijay Lochan, Tanvir Kitchloo, Zaffarullah, Mehboob Iqbal and Sajjad Saheen will accompany Farooq Abdullah on the visit.

“Their presence at the series of meetings highlights the party’s united front and dedication to consolidating its strength in the region,” he said.

“This visit by Abdullah and the accompanying leaders marks a crucial step in the party’s ongoing efforts to consolidate its position in the Chenab valley and emerge victorious in the upcoming Assembly elections,” the spokesperson added.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Friday said no internal or external forces would be allowed to disrupt the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir which will be held “at the earliest”.

Talking to reporters in Jammu at the end of the two-day visit of an Election Commission delegation to the Union Territory, Kumar emphasised that all political parties in the region have sought that the assembly polls take place soon.

This was the first major exercise for preparing the grounds for holding the maiden assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after it was downgraded to a Union Territory on August 5, 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

The visit of the three-member EC team led by Kumar comes ahead of the September 30 deadline given by the Supreme Court earlier this year for the completion of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.