 "'Why not?' Farooq Abdullah open to post-poll alliance with PDP to halt BJP")
Farooq Abdullah, a leader of the National Conference and former Chief Minister, said on Monday that the party is willing to consider a strategic post-election partnership with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from gaining power following the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.
“Why not? How does it matter? If we all work for the same thing... for improvement in the condition of the people of the state. We can be rivals in elections but I have no objections. I am sure the Congress will not either,” he said.
Abdullah, 86, has dismissed any possibility of claiming the Chief Minister’s position if his alliance emerges victorious in the elections.
“I will not be the Chief Minister... let this be clear. I have done my job. My problem will be — how can we make a strong government...”
He expressed openness to seeking support from elected independent lawmakers but emphasised, “I will not go beg before them. If they feel they can strengthen the state, then welcome.”
The National Conference (NC) and the Congress are united under the INDIA bloc. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was also invited to join this alliance, but a seat-sharing agreement could not be reached, leading former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s party to run independently.
Exit polls projected that the NC-Congress alliance will secure the highest number of seats but may not reach the majority threshold of 46 MLAs in the 90-member assembly. The PDP, expected to win between four and 12 seats, could be crucial for either the NC-Congress or the BJP.
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Zuhaib Yusuf Mir, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Lal Chowk seat in Srinagar, has proposed a potential alliance between the NC and the PDP. He stated that the PDP is open to collaborating with the NC and Congress to prevent the BJP from gaining control in the region.
“The PDP will have an important role in forming any secular government... we have said we are ready to take any step to save the identity of Kashmir but, for this, it is important we form a government against the BJP and not with them,” he said.
However, not all members within the PDP and NC appear to share this perspective. Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, described discussions of alliance before the election results as ‘unnecessary’. Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah, a senior leader of the National Conference and son of Farooq Abdullah, urged for restraint regarding what he called ‘premature speculation’.
“They haven’t extended support, they haven't offered support and we don't know what the voters have decided yet, so I really wish we could put a lid on all this premature speculation for the next 24 hours,” Omar Abdullah said.
(With agency inputs)