Remain committed to unity of INDIA bloc, says PDP amid reports of party quitting alliance

Srinagar, Feb 19 (PTI) The PDP on Monday rubbished reports about the party considering leaving the opposition INDIA bloc and said it remains committed to the unity of the alliance.

In a post on its official handle on X, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said, “Disregard the fabricated news about @jkpdp considering breaking ties with the INDIA alliance. We stand firm in our commitment to unity and our alliance. Don’t be misled by this malicious misinformation!”

The party’s reaction came after reports in a section of the media claimed that the PDP had left the INDIA bloc and decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections on its own.

A similar controversy broke out last week when National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah said the party would contest the Lok Sabha polls on its own.

However, Omar Abdullah — Farooq Abdullah’s son and the party vice-president — hurriedly convened a press conference to dismiss the suggestions, saying the National Conference remained committed to the INDIA bloc.

He, however, ruled out the possibility of seat sharing in Kashmir, where it had won all three Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elections.

Omar Abdullah said his party was open to an arrangement on the two seats in the Jammu region and one in Ladakh that are currently held by the BJP.