End of INDIA bloc in Kashmir: Mehbooba Mufti's PDP to contest from all Lok Sabha seats in Valley
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Srinagar, April 3: In a setback to Congress, Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday announced to independently contest elections on the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir putting an end to the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc on cards in the valley.
Notably, this decision came after Mufti claimed that National Conference is being non-cooperative over the seat division leaving her party to contest on LS seats alone. "They (NC) have left no option for us other than to field candidates and contest the elections. The party’s Parliamentary Board would take a final call on the candidates," she said while addressing the press conference.
Jammu and Kashmir: Former CM Mehbooba Mufti says, "PDP will not contest the Lok Sabha elections 2024 under the INDIA alliance." pic.twitter.com/17BdjpHTFF
— IANS (@ians_india) April 3, 2024
"When the INDI alliance's meeting took place in Mumbai, I said there that since (NC president) Farooq Abdullah is our senior leader, he will take a decision (on seat sharing) and will do justice. I had hoped he would keep the party interests aside. But the NC took the decision to contest all three seats in Kashmir unilaterally," PTI quoted Mufti as saying.
"The way Omar spoke was very disappointing, that was an insult not to me, but to my workers. So, how can I tell my workers to support NC? It is not easy. We will field candidates and leave it up to the people. The people are the better judge to see which voices they want in the Parliament,” the PDP president added.
It is pertinent to mention that the NC announced that it would field its candidates on all the three seats of Kashmir. The NC left two seats in Jammu for the Congress as part of the INDIA bloc's seat-sharing agreement.
While reacting to PDP's decision, NC's vice president Omar Abduallh said that if Mufti is fielding her own candidates, then perhaps she does not want any kind of alliance.
"...If she (PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti) has announced to field candidates on all 5 seats, it is her choice. We have fielded candidates on 3 seats in Kashmir based on her formula...If she is fielding her own candidates then perhaps she does not want any kind of alliance even for the assembly elections. We kept the door open, now if she has closed the door then it is not our fault..." news agency ANI quoted Abdullah as saying.
#WATCH | National Conference leader Omar Abdullah says, "...If she (PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti) has announced to field candidates on all 5 seats, it is her choice. We have fielded candidates on 3 seats in Kashmir based on her formula...If she is fielding her own candidates then… pic.twitter.com/EZJCeuU2LF
— ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2024
Besides, the Lok Sabha polls in the union territory will be held in the first five phases on April 19 (Udhampur), April 26 (Jammu), May 7 (Anantnag-Rajouri), May 13 (Srinagar) and May 20 (Baramulla). The counting of votes will be done on June 4. The Lok Sabha polls will continue until June 1 and will be held in seven phases.