The National Conference (NC) and the Congress will be jointly contesting the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir elections, NC president Farooq Abdullah announced on Thursday.
The decision was reportedly made after the leaders of the two parties met in Srinagar today.
Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi are on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are to be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, and vote counting on October 4.
"Alliance on all 90 assembly seats between the two parties. Paper work to be finalised by tonight. Congress, NC and CPI(M) are together,” Abdullah said after the meeting.
“We will work together and fight the elections. We are hopeful that statehood will be returned. No doors are closed for anyone", he added.
Earlier in the day, Congress Party member and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi said a coalition would be worked out for the Assembly elections, but not at the cost of the interests of Congress workers and leaders.
Addressing a Congress workers' meeting in Srinagar, Gandhi said that in J&K, a coalition will take place for sure. "But there won't be a coalition at the cost of the interests of Congress workers and leaders.
"I assure you, all of you, that there will be no compromise with your interests and respect for the party workers and leaders," he said while addressing party workers.
Gandhi said that he had met AICC chief Malikarjun Kharge and decided to visit J&K with him. "We want to give a message to the people of J&K, that their representation and statehood is supreme for us," he said. "Since Independence, many states have been converted into UTs but J&K is the first state that was downgraded to UT."
Gandhi assured the people of the UT that he had their interests at heart too. He said he tasted Wazwan and ice cream in Srinagar on Wednesday. "I met some people at an ice cream shop where some people asked me if I like people from J&K.
“This irritated me and I replied to them that I don't like J&K people but I love them," he said. "I have an old bond with Kashmir. I have blood relations with Kashmir."
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul said that the INDIA bloc has managed to shake the confidence/psychology of Modi.
"Our ideology and strength paved the way for us. We didn't resort to violence or un-parliamentary language but we succeeded in conveying a message to PM Modi that he is not what he thinks he is," Gandhi added.
Speaking on the occasion, AICC Chief Malikarjun Kharge observed if Congress wins elections from J&K, the party could manage to conquer the entire country.
"People of J&K should repose trust in the Congress so that we can pull you out of the muck and despair", said Kharge urging people to vote for the party in large numbers in the upcoming Assembly elections commencing from September 18.
He said that his expectations from the polls were a minimum of 40 to 45 seats in the favour of the Congress. "As per a survey, it has come to the fore that Rahul is the most popular leader in J&K."
He said that Congress will fight for the restoration of the rights of the people of J&K. "We will fight for your land, forests and rights snatched," he said
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