Poonch, Dec 2: With several Congress senior leaders losing faith in their own party, now another senior Congress leader and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad said that he does not see the grand old party winning 300 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

 

 

 

This came after he spoke on reversing the decision of the government on the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. While addressing a rally in Pooch district, Azad said that only Supreme Court can take such a decision or Congress has to come power with 300 plus seats but he does not see that happening. However, Azad said that he prays that Congress wins over 300 seats.

 

 

"Only Supreme Court can decide on Article 370. Besides the apex court, only the ruling government can do it. The current government has abrogated it, how will they do it? And I cannot assure you that Congress will win 300 seats in the 2024 elections. I pray that Congress wins 300 seats but I don't see that happening now," said the Congress leader.

 

In the same rally, he also said that people of different religions-- Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs-- live together in Poonch district and tensions never prevail in Poonch and Rajouri districts.Azad said, "Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs live together in Poonch. Identity of our country, Union Territory, secularism is that you continued fighting and safeguarded this area. In several areas, there are tensions between the Indian Army and public but there never was tension between them in Poonch-Rajouri."

 

 

"Poonch and Rajouri are right at the border and where militants keep roaming around as Pakistan has had its eyes on these areas since 1947. So I congratulate, the Army and the people of Poonch and Rajouri," he said. Addressing the journalists after addressing a public meeting at Krishna Chandra Park during the tour, he said that the delimitation process in Jammu and Kashmir should be completed soon and submit the report to the central government by the end of February 2022.

 

"Along with political parties, common citizens also want that Jammu and Kashmir should be given statehood and elections should be held soon," he said. Earlier this week, Azad had urged political parties to create an environment in the state that the people start believing that the election can be held and political process can be carried out.

 

 

"I am not going into party politics now. I am not speaking against any party now because this is not the environment in the state right now where one party speaks against the other. Rather I would request that all political parties, instead of abusing each other, should create such an environment in the state that the people here start believing that the election can be held and the politics could be done," he had said.