Jammu And Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: Will Support Congress If They Accept Our Agenda, Says Mehbooba Mufti

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed its commitment to restoring Articles 370 and 35A in their manifesto. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has stated that the party is open to supporting a Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir elections, as long as they are willing to accept the PDP’s agenda. According to Mehbooba Mufti, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have sent a message to the BJP government regarding the complexities arising from the removal of Article 370.

She emphasized that any potential alliance would require the acceptance of the PDP’s agenda as a condition for their support. Mehbooba Mufti has also stressed that the forthcoming assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir holds greater significance beyond statehood or seat sharing. She emphasized the pursuit of a larger goal during the press conference to launch the party’s manifesto for the upcoming assembly polls.

In the 2014 Assembly elections, the PDP emerged victorious with 28 seats, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing 25, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference winning 15, and the Congress obtaining 12 seats. The PDP and BJP later formed a coalition government, but the alliance dissolved in 2018. The upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for October 4.

These elections mark the first assembly polls in the region following the abrogation of Article 370.