National Conference and Congress announce agreement on seat sharing in Jammu and Kashmir elections

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party leader KC Venugopal during a meeting on the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, at the party office in New Delhi, Friday, August 23, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI

After hectic negotiations, the National Conference (NC) and the Congress on Monday announced a seat-sharing formula for the upcoming elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

While the NC is contesting for 51 seats, the Congress is fielding its candidates for 32 seats. One seat each has been allotted to the CPI(M) and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP).

Tuesday is the last day for filing nominations for the 24 constituencies where the first round of voting will take place on September 18. 16 of these seats are in the Kashmir Valley, eight in the Jammu region.

The official announcement was made at a joint press conference at the residence of NC President Farooq Abdullah. A “friendly competition” will be held in five constituencies.

“Friendly competition”

Jammu and Kashmir Congress leader Tariq Hamid Qarra said there would be a “friendly contest” in five constituencies as they could not reach an agreement, but was quick to add that it would be held in a “cordial and disciplined manner”.

Although the Congress and the NC announced their alliance last week during the visit of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, serious differences of opinion emerged between the two parties over seat sharing.

The breakthrough came after Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and senior politician Salman Khurshid were rushed to Srinagar to talk to the NC leadership.

Along with Bharat Solanki, President in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Venugopal and Mr Khurshid arrived at the residence of Dr Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah in Gupkar area to break the deadlock before the last day for filing nominations for the first phase seats ends on Tuesday.

Leaders of both parties said the list of seats each party is contesting and the names of candidates would be released in due course.

Elections for the 90-member assembly will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1, with results announced on October 4.