Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Omar Abdullah says India Block formed to reduce BJP’s seats

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the Congress-led India Bloc was formed to reduce the seats of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and not its alliance partners for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He stressed that his party would not ‘surrender’ any of these three seats in Kashmir It won the 2019 elections, PTI reported.

The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir state was reacting to speculations that the India Bloc has reached an agreement on seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha elections – now in the Union Territories. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. 

There were talks that a consensus has been reached on seat-sharing, with Congress contesting Udhampur and Ladakh seats in Jammu, National Conference (NC) Srinagar and Baramulla and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Anantnag seat.

NC had won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag The seats, however, were won by BJP in Udhampur and Ladakh.

“Why should we give up one seat? The aim of the Indian alliance is to reduce the seats of the BJP, not to reduce the seats of the members of the Indian alliance. We are discussing only three seats,” Omar told PTI. He said only one round of discussions was held recently in New Delhi on the seat-sharing agreement between the India Bloc partners.

“There were some proposals put forward by the Congress that required discussion within the NC. One of their proposals was not accepted by the senior leadership of the NC,” he said. However, he did not give any further information in this regard. However, Abdullah said he would go to New Delhi for the second round of discussions.

However, he reiterated that his party will only discuss the seats that are currently held by the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Omar Abdullah also said that he is optimistic about the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir in view of the upcoming visit of the Election Commission. Assembly elections have not been held in Jammu and Kashmir since 2014.

He said, “It is a matter of shame that the Supreme Court had to announce the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.” On December 11 last year, the Supreme Court had directed the Center to hold assembly elections in the Union Territory by September 30.

(With PTI inputs)