SRINAGAR: After days of deliberations, the Congress and National Conference (NC) on Wednesday announced a seat-sharing pact for the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The alliance, they asserted, was formed in the national interest and to help strengthen secular forces in the sensitive state and beyond.
According to the agreement, while the Congress will not field its candidate in Srinagar where from NC president Farooq Abdullah is seeking re-election, the alliance partners will have “friendly contest” in two other constituencies of the Kashmir Valley-Anantnag and Baramulla.
Congress would contest from Jammu and Udhampur whereas the lone seat in Ladakh region of the State may be left for the NC to contest for. The sides will continue to hold talks to reach consensus on the Ladakh seat.
Senior Congres leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the “friendly contest” by the two parties means that “there will be no cut-throat contest between us on these two seats (Anantnag and Baramulla)”.
He added, “If either Congress or NC wins, it’s a win-win situation for both of us”.
Mr Azad said that the alliance was finalized “in the national interest, to strengthen secular forces in J&K.”
