NC had to ‘sacrifice’ many seats for alliance with Congress: Omar

Srinagar: National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah Friday said the pre-poll alliance with the Congress for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls was not an easy decision as the party had to "sacrifice" many seats it felt it had a chance to win.Addressing a party function at the NC headquarters Nawa-i-Subah, Abdullah said the struggle for the "restoration of the rights" of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is a collective fight."This is not only our fight, but of the whole Jammu and Kashmir. If we have to undo the wrongs done to us, it will not only benefit us, but every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir. We are fighting this battle collectively for Jammu and Kashmir."That is why we joined hands with the Congress, even as it was not an easy decision for us, (because) we had to sacrifice those seats where we knew only the NC can give a tough fight," the NC vice president said.However, he said the alliance with the Congress was necessary to defeat the BJP."In many seats, like the low-lying areas of Jammu, Poonch, and Rajouri, the Congress and we can together fight those powers, that is why we gave the Congress some seats here from the NC's kitty," he added.Abdullah said the first impact of the pre-poll alliance was seen when former Congress leader and Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad announced he will not campaign for his party in the polls. On Wednesday, Azad expressed his inability to campaign for DPAP candidates citing health issues. PTI

'It was not easy decision': Omar Abdullah on NC's 'sacrifice' for pre-poll alliance with Congress in J&K

Omar Abdullah, vice president of the National Conference, discussed the challenging decision to form a pre-poll alliance with Congress for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. The NC had to sacrifice seats where they believed they could win. Abdullah emphasized that this collective battle aims to benefit every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ghulam Nabi Azad steps back from Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, citing health issues

Ghulam Nabi Azad, leading the Democratic Progressive Azad Party, will not campaign in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections because of health issues. Azad, who created DPAP after resigning from Congress in 2022, revealed his decision after experiencing chest pain and recent hospitalization. DPAP candidates will now campaign without his direct support in the upcoming elections.

Assembly elections: Bulk of Congresss seats falls in Jammu, National Conferences in Kashmir

NC and Congress will compete in friendly contests on five seats in the J&K assembly polls due to vote transfer challenges. The elections are the first since the abrogation of Article 370. Following 2023 delimitation, the assembly structure has changed, and both parties are looking to leverage BJP's recent underperformance in the Lok Sabha elections.