Farooq Abdullah, the president of the National Conference
Farooq Abdullah, the president of the National Conference, declared on Thursday that his party would run separately for every seat in the next Lok Sabha elections which a major blow for the INDIA bloc. “As far as seat sharing is concerned, NC will contest alone and there’s no doubt about it,” NC leader Farooq Abdullah stated at a press conference.
Jammu and Kashmir politics
Coincidentally, the announcement was made a few days after the ED had called Farooq Abdullah to discuss an alleged cricket scam. On being asked about the elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said, “I think that elections in both states will be held with the parliamentary elections.”
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, who served three terms as chief minister, was a devoted follower of the INDIA bloc and attended all opposition alliance meetings on a regular basis.
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Farooq: Internal conflicts in INDIA
But last month, Abdullah expressed concerns about the lack of agreement on seat-sharing arrangements within the India bloc. Abdullah stressed the importance of coming to a decision quickly in an interview with senior advocate Kapil Sibal for Sibal’s YouTube channel, saying, “To protect the nation, we must set aside our disagreements and prioritize the country’s welfare.”
Reacting to Farooq Abdullah’s statement that the National Conference will contest the elections alone, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said, “Talks are going on. Every party has their own limitations. National Conference and PDP have been a part of the INDIA bloc, and will continue to remain so.”
Since the AAP and Trinamool Congress have already shown a shaky commitment to the alliance, this is yet another setback for the INDIA bloc. While Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee said that the TMC’s seat-sharing negotiations with the Congress were not progressing well, the AAP declared that it would not form an alliance with the Congress in Punjab.
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