The Congress party officially backed the National Conference (NC) for forming the government in Jammu and Kashmir, issuing a letter of support following a legislature party meeting on Friday. The Congress party has authorized its central leadership to elect the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in the region.
Alliance Achieves Electoral Success
The NC-Congress alliance emerged victorious in the recent assembly elections, securing a total of 48 seats. The National Conference played a crucial role in leading the alliance, as Congress could only manage to win six seats out of the 90 assembly seats contested in a three-phase election.
During the CLP meeting, Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra announced, “We unanimously passed a resolution and authorized the party’s central leadership to choose our CLP leader. We have extended our support to the National Conference.” He emphasized that the party has no demands and is focused on working together with the NC for the benefit of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Karra remarked, “The spirit of this alliance is much higher than the number game. Our fight with the BJP is varied and cannot be reduced to ministerial posts.”
In response to a query, Karra confirmed that the choice made by the National Conference regarding its leader of the legislature party is entirely acceptable to the Congress party.
The Congress’s letter of support will enable the National Conference to stake a claim to form the government, marking the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the state into two union territories.
Omar Abdullah’s Call for Statehood Restoration
Omar Abdullah, who has been elected as the Leader of the National Conference, highlighted the importance of passing a resolution to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood when the government is formed. He expressed a commitment to work harmoniously with the Lieutenant Governor (LG) for the benefit of the region’s people, stating, “We will make every effort to work for the people.”