Mohammad Iqbal Sofi Joins National Conference with Omar Abdullah in Pulwama
On September 16, Mohammad Iqbal Sofi, who was the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) candidate from Pulwama, joined the National Conference (NC) in the presence of NC leader Omar Abdullah. Sofi urged the people to support the NC-Congress alliance in the upcoming assembly polls.
Sofi explained, “I was contesting as a candidate of AIP from Pulwama. I received information that AIP is forming an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI). Voting will be conducted on September 18, and we got this news suddenly through social media. I believe that NC will win all the seats. I cannot withdraw my candidature, so I request everyone to support the candidate of the NC-Congress alliance.”
Omar Abdullah commented on the situation, stating, “It is good that the reality of Engineer Rashid and his party is coming out in front of the people. The person who joined NC today was a candidate from AIP. But Engineer Rashid left his candidates and supported someone else. Here are two candidates, from Pulwama and Kulgam, who were ditched by Engineer Rashid at the end moment.”
Abdullah also expressed hope that a significant portion of the votes would go to the National Conference candidates in the upcoming elections. He mentioned that Engineer Rashid’s actions were influenced by external signals, aiming to target the National Conference.
Last week, a special NIA court in Delhi granted bail to Rashid, who is an accused in a terror funding case, allowing him to campaign in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. The elections will be held on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with votes counted on October 8. These are the first assembly polls in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.
Doubts Revealed
Mohammad Iqbal Sofi -: Mohammad Iqbal Sofi is a politician who was previously a candidate for the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) from Pulwama, a district in Jammu and Kashmir.
National Conference (NC) -: The National Conference (NC) is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is one of the oldest and most prominent parties in the region.
Omar Abdullah -: Omar Abdullah is a well-known Indian politician and a leader of the National Conference (NC). He has also served as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pulwama -: Pulwama is a district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is known for its scenic beauty and also for being a politically significant area.
Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) -: The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It was founded by Engineer Rashid, who is also its chief.
NC-Congress alliance -: The NC-Congress alliance refers to the partnership between the National Conference (NC) and the Indian National Congress (INC) to contest elections together.
Engineer Rashid -: Engineer Rashid is a politician and the chief of the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP). He is known for his outspoken views and political activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Article 370 -: Article 370 was a provision in the Indian Constitution that gave special autonomy to the region of Jammu and Kashmir. It was abrogated (removed) in August 2019.
