Srinagar

Dr. Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and president of the National Conference (NC), announced a finalized pre-poll alliance with Congress on Thursday. He confirmed that the two parties, along with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], will jointly contest all 90 Assembly seats. The formal paperwork for the alliance is expected to be completed by the evening. Abdullah expressed optimism about restoring statehood to J&K and emphasized that the coalition is open to further collaborations.

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge visited Abdullah’s residence in Srinagar for discussions, with NC vice president Omar Abdullah also present. Afterward, Gandhi, Kharge, and K.C. Venugopal met Congress workers in Srinagar. Gandhi highlighted the importance of J&K’s representation and criticized the unique situation of its statehood being revoked and replaced with a union territory. He emphasized that Congress is committed to restoring statehood and addressing local issues.

Kharge criticized the BJP for its failure to conduct timely elections and claimed that the party’s promises about eradicating terrorism in J&K have not materialized. He noted rising unemployment and increased terrorism incidents since the abrogation of Article 370. Rahul Gandhi will now travel to Jammu to engage with party workers and leaders about the upcoming elections.