National Conference, Congress Announce Seat-Sharing Deal for J&K Assembly Elections

New Delhi: The National Conference (NC) and the Congress have announced their seat-sharing formula for the forthcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. At a press conference on Monday evening, senior leaders from both parties revealed that the NC will contest for 51 out of the 90 seats, while the Congress will contest 32 constituencies.

Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra outlined the seat-sharing arrangement, stating that the alliance will maintain a “friendly but disciplined contest” on five seats. Additionally, one seat each will be allocated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Panthers Party.

The elections are set to be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1, with the vote count scheduled for October 4. This will be the first Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir in nearly a decade.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah expressed his enthusiasm about the alliance, highlighting their joint effort to counter forces that seek to divide the region. “We are united in our fight against those attempting to fragment Jammu and Kashmir. The INDIA alliance was created to combat forces that aim to communalise and destabilise our nation,” Abdullah stated.