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Ending the speculations the National Conference (NC) and the Congress have unanimously agreed to contest 51 and 32 seats respectively for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
One seat each has been allotted to the CPI(M) and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), the allies announced at a joint press conference at NC president Farooq Abdullah’s residence after day-long negotiations reported PTI .
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah addressing media said “It is a matter of great happiness that we started this campaign that both of us will fight together against those forces who are trying to divide people here. The whole country and INDIA alliance was formed so that we can fight those forces who want to communalize, divide and break the country. Today we have completed the negotiations and have done coordination in a very good cordial atmosphere. Congress and the National Conference will fight the elections together…”
According to their seat-sharing formula, the NC will contest 51 seats in J-K and the Congress 32.
They also announced that a “friendly contest” would be held on five seats of the Union territory.
However, J&K Congress president Tariq Hamid Qarra said the contest would take place in a cordial and disciplined manner.
The leaders said the list of seats each party will be contesting, as well as the names of the candidates, will be issued in due course.
JKNC Vice President Omar Abdullah quoted by ANI said , “At no point in time did the Congress party raise any objections to our manifesto. In the initial stages of our discussions at the local level, they had asked whether we would consider a common minimum program. We told them very clearly that the common minimum program would arrive after we won an election…If National Conference and Congress receive the support of people then we will form a common minimum program for governance for the next five years…”
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal addressing media said “BJP is trying to destroy the soul of Jammu and Kashmir our INDIA alliance’s main objective is to save the soul of Jammu and Kashmir so that is why Congress and National Conference is coming together to make a government in Jammu & Kashmir which is totally friendly with the people of J&K. We have done a discussion in accordance and we entered into a formula which our leaders will share now. We will fight together, we will win J&K. We will form the government in Jammu and Kashmir…”
