Farooq Abdullah has also hinted at the possibility of the National Conference rejoining the NDA.
Hours after National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah announced that his party will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections “on its own strength”, without forming any alliances with other political parties, his son and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has clarified that the NC will remain part of the INDIA bloc and is, in fact, in talks with the Congress for three of the six Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
“We were part of INDIA and still are… things have been taken out of context. The main idea of the grouping is to defeat the BJP, for there is no point in sailing in two boats,” he said.
Earlier in the day, senior Abdullah said that the party wouldn”t engage in any discussions about seat-sharing with other parties, dealing another setback to the INDIA bloc.
“As far as seat sharing is concerned, I want to make it clear National Conference will contest elections on its own strength. There are no two opinions about it. There should be no questions on this anymore,” Abdullah said.
The veteran politician also hinted at the possibility of the National Conference rejoining the NDA, a coalition it was part of during Atal Bihari Vajpayee”s tenure.
Abdullah, who served as Jammu and Kashmir”s Chief Minister thrice, has been a strong supporter of the INDIA bloc and attended all its meetings. However, he did not elaborate on the reasons behind the sudden change in the party”s strategy.
Last month, Abdullah expressed concerns about the lack of consensus within the INDIA bloc regarding seat-sharing arrangements. Speaking on former Union Minister Kapil Sibal”s YouTube channel, Abdullah stressed the importance of setting aside differences for the greater good of the country.
Abdullah recently faced scrutiny from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding alleged financial irregularities at the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association. He cited being out of town as the reason for not appearing before the ED.
Last month, several key leaders of the National Conference in the Jammu region defected to the BJP.
In response to Farooq Abdullah”s announcement of the National Conference”s solo election bid, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said that discussions were ongoing and that each party had its own limitations. He noted that the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP have been part of the INDIA bloc and will continue to remain so.
The INDIA bloc, consisting of approximately 25 parties, is struggling to reach a consensus on seat-sharing with its regional allies. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is also contesting all seats in Punjab independently, has already announced three candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, citing delays in finalizing seat-sharing arrangements with the Congress. In Delhi, the party has offered only one of the seven Lok Sabha seats to the Congress.
Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has decided to contest alone in West Bengal after the state Congress declined their offer for two seats. Uttar Pradesh also poses challenges, with the Samajwadi Party nominating 11 candidates amidst ongoing negotiations with the Congress.
