Jammu, Mar 11: Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah on Monday advocated for conducting Lok Sabha and assembly elections simultaneously in the region. He said the National Conference (NC) would raise this demand before the visiting Election Commission of India (ECI) team.
Addressing reporters here, Omar said that postponing Assembly elections while conducting Lok Sabha polls would be an “injustice” to the people of J&K. “It is important to hold both elections concurrently to ensure fairness and representation,” he said.
“The NC provincial presidents from Jammu and Kashmir, along with senior leaders, will meet the ECI team in Jammu and Srinagar to advocate for simultaneous assembly and parliamentary polls,” Abdullah affirmed.
Highlighting the feasibility of conducting both elections together, the NC leader questioned why the Lok Sabha elections could proceed while the assembly elections faced postponement. If the situation permitted Lok Sabha polls, it should also allow for assembly elections, he said.
Responding to queries regarding differences between the INDIA bloc and the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), Omar clarified that PAGD was not solely an electoral alliance but based on shared ideologies. “It was an alliance based on ideology and those parties who think that PAGD should benefit only from seat-sharing are blaming PAGD for the wrong reasons,” he said.
He criticised those solely focused on seat-sharing within PAGD, saying the alliance’s purpose extended beyond electoral gains.
