NC, Congress, CPI(M) Seal Pre-Poll Pact in J&K

Dr Farooq makes formal announcement 

Srinagar, Aug 22: Finally, the impasse over the pre-poll alliance has ended on Thursday as the National Conference (NC), Congress and CPI (M) have decided to contest the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir jointly. The polls are slated from September 18 and will culminate on October 01.

The assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir would be held after the gap of 10 years as the erstwhile coalition government ended in 2018 and following which J&K has been without an elected government for the last six years.
However, days after the election commission announced three-phased assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the three parties, who had already joined their hands ahead of the previously conducted Lok Sabha elections under the banner of INDI Alliance, have once again decided to contest jointly in this election.
The Morning Kashmir had carried a story yesterday in which it had mentioned that the parleys are going on and the decision will be taken shortly.
The announcement was made by NC President Farooq Abdullah this afternoon just a few minutes after the NC leaders and All India Congress Committee (AICC) leaders held a meeting at his Gupkar residence.
Farooq was in a hurry to announce the decision, by claiming that the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere today in which the pre-poll alliance has been discussed and finalized.
“The alliance is on track and will be approved by this evening,” senior Abdullah said, adding that the papers will be signed as the alliance has been done on all 90 seats of Jammu and Kashmir.
He further said that Congress, NC and CPI(M) are on the same page and will fight assembly elections together.
Pertinently, on Wednesday Congress National President Malkarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi arrived on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to hold deliberations with party leaders and workers ahead of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Both leaders left for Jammu on Thursday afternoon after holding a meeting with National Conference (NC) leadership in Srinagar.