Srinagar

On Wednesday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge outlined five key promises for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) if the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance wins the upcoming elections. Kharge vowed to fulfill the longstanding promise of returning Kashmir Pandit migrants to their homes, a commitment first made during Manmohan Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister. He also promised to uphold the rights of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) as per the Constitution. Achieving statehood for J&K and filling numerous vacancies in government departments were also included in his pledges. Additionally, Kharge assured financial support of Rs 3,000 per month to women heads of households.

Kharge criticized the BJP, stating that the party’s leaders would face jail time if they had secured just 20 more seats in the Lok Sabha. He accused the BJP of stalling development in J&K and failing to fulfill its election promises. Specifically, he questioned the BJP’s past claim of achieving 400 seats in the Lok Sabha, noting that they currently hold only 240 seats.

Kharge condemned the BJP’s handling of youth employment, citing corruption and inefficiencies in recruitment processes. He also criticized the slow progress of development projects, such as a market project in Anantnag that was inaugurated a decade ago.

The Congress-NC pre-poll alliance has divided the 90 Assembly seats, with NC fielding candidates for 52 and Congress for 31. Two seats are reserved for CPI-M and J&K Panthers Party, and five seats will see friendly contests between the two parties. The elections will occur in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with vote counting on October 8.