With the election campaigning heating up, the Indian National Congress (INC) and the National Conference (NC) have finalised a seat-sharing agreement in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a joint press conference with the Congress in New Delhi today, NC leader and former chief minister of J&K, Omar Abdullah said that the Congress will field its candidates from Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh Lok Sabha seats, while the NC will fight from Anantnag, Baramulla and Srinagar.
"National Conference and Congress will each contest 3 Lok Sabha seats in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh...Chaudhary Lal Singh to contest from Udhampur, Raman Bhalla to contest from Jammu & Mian Altaf Sahib to contest from Anantnag. The candidates for the remaining seats will be announced soon," he said, as reported by ANI.
The seat-sharing saga in Jammu and Kashmir has unfolded amidst intricate dynamics, as the longstanding rivals, the Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC), finding themselves locked in contention. Against this backdrop, the recent alliance between the Congress and NC gains significance, especially given PDP's move to field candidates across all three seats in the Kashmir Valley last Sunday. PDP's decision, which came nearly a week after the NC's nomination of candidates in these constituencies, underscores the intensifying competition for political representation.
Adding to the complexity, there were reports circulating a month ago about the Congress attempting to mediate between the NC and PDP, striving to broker a consensus on seat allocation in the valley.