SRINAGAR, FEB 13: With Parliamentary elections drawing nearer, the parties part of the INDIA Alliance, are undecided over seat sharing in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Lok Sabha elections are likely to be held in April-May across the country.
In Jammu and Kashmir, there are five parliamentary constituencies. While the BJP has announced they will fight on all seats in Jammu and Kashmir.
At the same time, the opposition parties have formed an alliance to fight united against the BJP. However, the Congress, NC and PDP are undecided over seat sharing in Jammu and Kashmir for Lok Sabha polls which are a couple of months away.
J&K has five parliamentary constituencies of which three fall in Kashmir valley and two in Jammu. At present, three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir are held by the National Conference- Farooq Abdullah from Central Kashmir, Justice Hasnian Masoodi from South Kashmir and Mohammad Akbar Lone from North Kashmir. The BJP has two parliament members from Jammu including Dr Jitendar Singh and Jugal Kishore.
In the past several months, NC leaders have consistently asserted their claim on the three parliamentary seats in the Valley currently held by Farooq Abdullah, Hasnain Masoodi, and Mohammad Akbar Lone.
Sources say that the PDP is urging the NC to contest Srinagar and Baramulla, while leaving Anantnag for the PDP.
In Anantnag, where the Congress holds a significant vote bank, the party’s former state unit president, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, stood second in the 2019 elections ahead of Mufti. However, Mir has been reassigned as an AICC general secretary, minimizing his role in the equation.
With the reorganization placing Rajouri and Poonch districts under Anantnag, MP Masoodi’s influence in the region has waned.
Both the PDP and the NC are interested in having the Congress contest the two seats in Jammu. On the other hand, the BJP has launched its Lok Sabha election campaign by inaugurating election offices in Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, Jammu, and Udhampur. This move is perceived as an effort by the BJP leadership to broaden its influence in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Valley where it is not yet considered a formidable political presence.
