The National Conference, biggest regional party of Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday announced it would contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and possible assembly polls in the Union Territory “on its own”.
This was announced by the party chief and Lok Sabha MP Farooq Abdullah here. It comes as yet another setback to the INDIA bloc as well as the regional PAGD alliance.
“Elections will happen and I think both assembly and Parliament elections will be held together.
“As far as seat sharing is concerned, I want to make it clear that the National Conference will contest elections on its own. There are no two views about it,” Abdullah told reporters here.
The National Conference has been a part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) grouping formed last year and comprises the Congress, AAP, RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT), Trinamool Congress, DMK, Left parties among others.
The AAP and Trinamool Congress have also said they would be going alone in Punjab and West Bengal.
The decision of the National Conference also signals an end to the People’s Alliance on Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), which was formed ahead of the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Earlier, the regional grouping had indicated that it will fight elections jointly.