ASSEMBLY POLL 2024: National Conference, Congress finalise seat deal, friendly fight on 5 segments

Srinagar, August 26

The National Conference and the Congress on Monday finalised the strategy for sharing seats for the three-phase J&K Assembly elections, days after the two parties sealed a pre-poll alliance.

Earlier today, the Congress rushed its central leaders to Srinagar to hold discussions. Later in the evening, the two parties announced that they had finalised the seat-sharing arrangement, including a friendly contest on five seats.

According to the final arrangement, the NC will contest on 51 seats and Congress on 32. The J&K Panthers Party and CPI (M) have been allocated one seat each, while the NC and the Congress would fight a friendly contest in five seats.

“The final discussion between the two parties took place in a cordial atmosphere, understanding each other’s sensitivities, while contentious constituencies were reviewed,” J&K Congress president Tariq Karra told reporters in Srinagar. He added that under the friendly contest, both parties would field candidates in the five segments.

The last date for nominations for the first phase is August 27, while the scrutiny of nominations will take place on August 28. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is August 30. Voting will take place on September 18.

Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal said the BJP had no moral right to raise questions over the alliance between the Congress and the NC. “The National Conference and the Congress would form the next UT Government, which will be friendly with the public,” he said.

The Congress leader pointed out that the BJP itself had an alliance with the NC earlier. The saffron party even had an alliance with the PDP, he said. “Every political party has its own programmes and manifesto. We have our own manifesto and when we are forming a government, there will be a common minimum programme.”

He said that the people of Kashmir had been cheated by the BJP, which was trying to destroy the soul of Jammu and Kashmir.

Late on Monday night, the NC released the first list of 18 candidates for phase one. The Congress also announced nine names in its first list for the election.

Cong’s list of 9 out

In its first list of nine candidates, Congress named Surinder Singh Channi from Tral, Amanullah Mantoo from Devsar, Ghulam Ahmad Mir from Dooru, Peerzada Mohd Syed from Anantnag and Sheikh Zafarullah from Inderwal. Nadeem Sharief will contest from Bhaderwah, Sheikh Riyaz from Doda, Pardeep Bhagat from Doda West & Vikar Rasool Wani from Banihal.