Page 5 - National Conference

National Conference, Congress settle seats division for J&K Assembly polls

The National Conference (NC) and the Congress Monday agreed to contest 51 and 32 seats respectively for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. One seat each has been allotted to the CPI(M) and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), the allies announced at a joint press conference at NC president Farooq Abdullah's residence here after day-long negotiations. According to their seat-sharing formula, the NC will contest 51 seats in J-K and the Congress 32. They also said there will be a "friendly contest" on five seats of the Union Territory. The leaders said the list of seats each party will be contesting, as well as the names of the candidates, will be issued later. The NC president said the alliance is up for a fight against the powers "who are dividing the people not just in this state, but across the country." "The INDIA bloc was made with an aim to fight those forces who are trying to create a communal divide in the country. Today, I am happy that the negotiat

Differences over seat-sharing: Cong and NC leaders to hold deliberations

The Congress leadership is set to hold deliberations with the National Conference on Monday to iron out differences over seat-sharing for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls. Congress general secretary organisation, K C Venugopal will hold talks with NC president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah at their residence here, leaders in both the parties said. They said the meeting was necessitated after "some differences" cropped up in seat-sharing arrangement during the talks between the local leadership of the parties. The leaders said both the parties have agreed over the seat sharing formula to a large extent. "The central leaders of Congress will meet our leaderships to talk about alliance. Some clarification is needed on some issues, and this will be done today," NC provincial president, Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani told reporters outside the residence of the Abdullahs. He expressed hope that by the afternoon, "everything will be clear". "Two parties have to contest

J&K Assembly elections: Omar Abdullah says 'consenus reached on most seats'

The former Chief Minister was addressing the media, discussing the upcoming alliance with the Congress and the details of the seat distribution

'Have blood ties with J-K': Rahul Gandhi sounds poll bugle in the Valley

In his first visit to Jammu-Kashmir after the announcement of assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi said that restoration of statehood is a priority for both him and his party

INDIA bloc uncertain on J-K polls: AAP may go solo; Cong open for tie-up

Assembly elections in Jammu-Kashmir are scheduled from September 18 to October 1 in three phases. The counting of votes will be done on October 4.

J-K elections: Omar Abdullah releases National Conference manifesto today

The National Conference will release on Monday its manifesto for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The document will be released during a press meet by party vice-president Omar Abdullah in the presence of senior leaders, including members of its manifesto committee. The three-phase elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The results will be declared on October 4. The National Conference had formed a committee led by former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister and senior leader Abdul Rahim Rather to draft the manifesto. The committee also included other senior leaders, including the party's Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi. The party had sought suggestions from the people for the manifesto, saying their submissions would be discussed and incorporated in the final document. Mehdi had said the biggest issues for the party were the political and constitutional statuses of Jammu and Kashmir and the ...

Farooq welcomes EC's move to advance J-K polls, hopes central rule to end

National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Friday welcomed the Election Commission's decision to advance assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and hoped that the central rule will end in the Union Territory. According to the dates announced by the EC, starting from September 18, the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases. The second phase will be held on September 25 and the third and final phase on October 1. Results for the assembly polls in both Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir will be announced on October 4. "Today, I thank God that they are deciding it. Earlier, people were saying that they would decide it between the 20th and 25th. I am happy that they have preponed it (sic)," Abdullah told PTI here. He further said the country celebrated India's Independence on Thursday, and on Friday they are hopeful of getting rid of the central government's rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Replying to a question about the party's readiness for the elections, he said,

LG govt has shaken up administration: NC asks EC to suspend transfer

The National Conference on Friday called on the Election Commission of India (ECI) to thoroughly investigate the massive transfers in the police and civil administration, and demanded immediate suspension of the implementation of such orders. National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said the move seems "clearly intended to undermine" the integrity of the electoral process, which restricts such transfers to prevent the ruling party from gaining an undue administrative advantage over the opposition. "Why has a massive reshuffle been ordered in the police and administration since last evening, and today morning, seemingly to pre-empt the Election Commission's announcement? It appears to have been orchestrated by a BJP-appointed LG to benefit his party and its allies," Sagar said in a statement. "The LG government has strategically shaken up the entire administrative set up compromising the principles of free and fair elections," he added. The National Conference called

Election result 2024: Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti admit defeat in Kashmir

Abdullah conceded defeat from the Baramulla seat to independent candidate Engineer Rashid, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail under the stringent UAPA on charges of terror funding

Exit polls proven wrong; final results will be in our favour: Omar Abdullah

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said he is hopeful of winning the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, even as he was trailing behind Independent candidate Sheikh Abdul Rashid by 25,000 votes in initial trends. "There will be ups and downs but the final results will be in our favour," Abdullah told reporters here. Asked about his take on the exit polls, the NC leader said, "Exit polls have been wrong in the past as well but right also sometimes. While we are hopeful, we have apprehensions also that all the exit polls cannot be wrong." "There can be minor differences but all exit polls are saying one thing only. It will be something extraordinary to hope that all of them are wrong. Everything will be clear by 1 or 2 pm," he said. Most exit polls have predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a third straight term, with the BJP-led NDA expected to win a big majority in the Lok Sabha polls. While some exit polls have given the NDA more th

LS polls highlights: PM has developed strategies to distract people from 'real' issues, says Rahul

General Elections 2024 Live: Catch all the latest news updates on the Lok Sabha polls here

Larger participation of people answer to 'betrayal of Aug 2019': Omar

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has said people are identifying themselves with his party's campaign as it is talking about factors important to them: the sense of "betrayal" since August 5, 2019 and their issues remaining unaddressed in the absence of a popular government since 2018. Abdullah, who is contesting from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, accuses the "BJP and agencies" of riding "multiple horses in this race to see which one can ultimately damage the National Conference". Overwhelmed by people's enthusiastic response to his roadshows and rallies, especially in areas hitherto dominated by the separatist ideology, the NC vice president said the BJP's tactics in various constituencies indicated a calculated approach to secure advantages through alliances against his party. "Well obviously, the people have identified themselves with our campaign; they have joined in large numbers and with enthusiastic crowds. But it is also true that there is a general sense of betrayal

LS polls highlights: TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee to support INDIA Bloc 'from outside'

General Elections 2024 latest news: Catch all the news updates on the Lok Sabha polls here

LS polls: Three generations of Abdullah family cast vote in J-K's Srinagar

Three generations of the Abdullah family on Monday cast their vote in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, with National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah appealing to people to turn out in large numbers to exercise their franchise. NC president and former J-K chief minister Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and his two grandsons and first-time electors Zahir and Zamir? cast their vote at the polling station at the Burn Hall School here. "We have two first-time voters with us. It is for the first time that three generations of our family are voting together," Omar Abdullah, also a former chief minister, said. It is for the first time since 1998 that no member of the Abdullah family is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Srinagar. The only loss the NC suffered on this seat was in the 2014 general elections. While the BJP, which is in power at the Centre, is not contesting any of the three Lok Sabha seats, including Srinagar, in Kashmir, the party

Voters will end domination of National Conference, PDP in Kashmir, says BJP

The BJP may not be contesting any of the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir but the party is confident that the elections in the Valley will end the domination of the National Conference and People's Democratic Party in the region. A day before Srinagar goes to the polls, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh claimed on Monday that the Narendra Modi government's development initiatives following the abrogation of Article 370 coupled with peace in the region have ensured that people are looking beyond family-run parties like the two regional outfits besides the Congress. "These parties are responsible for all the turmoil Jammu and Kashmir went through right from the 90s when terrorism erupted and lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits had to flee their homes. "People know that be it the PDP, NC or the Congress, their concerns are not the priority of these parties as they only want to perpetuate their family rule," said Chugh, who is overseeing his party's campaign in the region besides in Lada

LS polls highlights: My aim is to increase speed and scale of development, says PM Modi to ANI

General Elections 2024 news updates: Catch all the news updates of the announcements related to Lok Sabha polls here

Manmohan Singh was true statesman, Modi must think about his legacy: Omar

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday said Manmohan Sigh was a true statesman and that Narendra Modi, at some stage, will have to start thinking about the kind of legacy he leaves behind. In an interview with PTI Videos, Abdullah, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from north Kashmir Baramulla constituency, said it was obvious that the Centre was using the probe agencies under it against the leaders of the opposition parties. "It is not apparent, it is obvious. When 95 per cent of the cases that are being investigated or charged by the Enforcement Directorate are against (opposition ) political leaders and political parties, that tells you. "At some point, the PM will start looking at his legacy. Right now, I think his aim is to be a PM for longer than Jawahar Lal Nehru. Once that aim is met, then, none of us get younger, we all get older. There comes a time when we have to leave the stage. I have no doubt that somewhere in the back of his mind, the PM will start .

This is not end of Farooq Abdullah's career, says NC leader Omar Abdullah

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday said his father Farooq Abdullah's not contesting the Lok Sabha polls does not signal an end to his electoral career. "With my father, I have learnt over time that you never say never, ever. So until the very last breath, and may God give him many more of them, do not ever write him off for anything," Omar told PTI. The National Conference vice president was responding to a question whether the senior Abdullah might stage a comeback when assembly elections are held in Jammu and Kashmir. In response to a question about his sons - Zahir and Zameer -- being groomed for active politics, the former J-K chief minister said they have done nothing that warrants such a conjecture. "As far as my sons are concerned, what have they done? Have they made speeches, have they got mandates, have they done any active politics? As sons or grandsons, they help out wherever they are needed. We hosted a party (Iftar party), if they help as part of the

LS polls: Congress, NC to contest 3 seats each in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh

The Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory will be held in the first five phases on April 19 (Udhampur), April 26 (Jammu), May 7 (Anantnag-Rajouri), May 13 (Srinagar) and May 20 (Baramulla)

LS polls: NC, PDP have been beneficiaries of alliances with BJP, says Azad

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has pooh-poohed the claims made by rival National Conference and PDP that his newly- formed party was in cahoots with the BJP and asked whether they are the 'B' teams of the saffron party going by their past coalition arrangements. Talking to PTI Videos, Azad, who is contesting on his Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), highlighted his party's primary focus on reinstating full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and not on the lines that union territories like Delhi and Puducherry enjoy. To a question that his party was seen as a B team of the BJP, Azad pointed out past associations of regional parties with the saffron party. "A and B team are those from the valley who have been ministers in the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, father of the BJP, or those who enjoyed governance with the help of saffron party MLAs in the erstwhile state," he said. He highlighted his independent political stance, emphasising the need for ..