Srinagar, Aug 27: All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary, Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Tuesday said the INDIA alliance will contest the assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir with a “firm and strong agenda” to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“INDIA alliance, comprising Congress, National Conference, Panthers Party and Communist party will contest the assembly elections with a strong agenda to prevent BJP’s victory in Jammu & Kashmir,” Mir said after filing the nomination papers from 41-Dooru Assembly Constituency in south Kashmir in the presence of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President Tariq Hameed Karra, JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla, Th Manmohan Singh, Vijay Sharma Babbi, and others senior leaders from both Congress and National Conference.
Mir said, “The people of Jammu & Kashmir have been without representation for 11 years, suffering under the BJP’s and central government’s rule.” He expressed hope that the people will participate wholeheartedly in the elections, support the alliance’s agenda and elect good representatives to form a government next month.
In response to the BJP’s criticism of the Congress-National Conference alliance, Mir said, “The BJP is frustrated due to the INDIA alliance’s strong agenda to keep them away from victory. We expect a decisive mandate from the people to address pending issues, including the restoration of statehood and powers.”
JKPCC President Tariq Karra in his address criticised the BJP, accusing it of causing severe hardship to the people of Jammu & Kashmir. “The region has been without proper representation for the past 11 years due to the oppressive policies of both the BJP and the central government. The INDIA alliance’s call for democratic reforms in the region stems from these grievances.”
Karra said the INDIA alliance has disrupted the BJP’s strategy in Jammu & Kashmir. “The unity with the National Conference is not of any number and constituencies but of the motive and intention of ending the misery of the people here,” he said, adding, “The BJP appears tense and disorganised in J&K. They are intimidated by this unity.”
The JKPCC Chief expressed confidence that the NC-Congress alliance will form the next government in Jammu & Kashmir.
Raman Bhalla in his address said, “The victory of the Congress-NC alliance in the upcoming polls is the solution to every problem.” He directed the party leaders and office bearers to continue with their awareness campaign against BJP’s “wrong policies and programmes”. “Congress will not allow anyone to barter the interests of J&K people for their own nefarious interests,” he said.
Bhalla asserted that Congress under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi is “relentlessly fighting for the restoration of the fundamental rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir”. He urged the people to join hands with the Congress-NC alliance. “Together, we can pave the way for a brighter future, where democracy prevails and fundamental rights are upheld,” he added.
