Congress and National Conference Form Alliance for Jammu and Kashmir Elections
The Congress Central Election Committee is currently meeting at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi to discuss the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir elections. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi are attending the meeting.
According to sources, discussions are focused on nine seats for the first phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir, with candidates finalized for five of these seats.
On August 22, ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, the Congress and the National Conference (NC) announced a pre-poll alliance and confirmed that seat-sharing talks are underway. The alliance was declared shortly after Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge met with NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah in Srinagar on Thursday. Following the meeting, Farooq Abdullah stated that the Congress and the NC would contest all 90 seats in the assembly polls together.
Previously, the Congress and the NC had formed an alliance during the Lok Sabha elections, where the National Conference secured two seats–Anantnag and Srinagar–while the Congress did not win any seats.
The assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with results to be announced on October 4. The Election Commission has issued notifications for the first phase, covering 24 seats. These will be the first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.
Doubts Revealed
Congress -: Congress is a major political party in India. It has been one of the oldest and most influential parties in the country.
National Conference -: National Conference is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir. It mainly focuses on the issues and development of the Jammu and Kashmir region.
Alliance -: An alliance is when two or more groups come together to work towards a common goal. In this case, Congress and National Conference are working together for the elections.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It has its own unique culture and history.
Central Election Committee -: The Central Election Committee is a group within the Congress party that makes important decisions about elections.
Delhi -: Delhi is the capital city of India. It is where many important government meetings take place.
Mallikarjun Kharge -: Mallikarjun Kharge is the President of the Congress party. He is a senior leader and makes important decisions for the party.
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is a prominent leader in the Congress party. He is known for his active role in Indian politics.
Pre-poll alliance -: A pre-poll alliance is when political parties decide to work together before the elections take place.
Seat-sharing -: Seat-sharing is when political parties decide how many seats each party will contest in the elections.
Assembly elections -: Assembly elections are held to choose representatives for the legislative assembly of a state or region.
Phases -: Phases mean that the elections will be held on different days in different areas. This helps in managing the election process better.
Abrogation of Article 370 -: Abrogation of Article 370 means that a special status given to Jammu and Kashmir was removed. This happened in 2019 and changed how the region is governed.