CPI(M) leader and Peoples Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) spokesman M.Y. Tarigami on Monday expressed intent “to work towards bridging the differences” within the four-year-old alliance in J&K, even as National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah hardened his position over seat sharing with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“I will try my best to address the gaps emerging within the alliance during the past few days,” Mr. Tarigami said.
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Around six political parties in August 2019 joined against the Centre’s move to end J&K’s special status. The conglomeration, with many members already quitting it, is centred around the NC and the PDP, the two key regional voices from J&K championing for pre-August 5, 2019 position.
“The parties decided to form the united front, PAGD, to jointly raise voices for our snatched rights. People of Ladakh are on roads and demanding the snatched rights should be returned, while people of Kashmir have not hit the roads yet,” Mr. Tarigami said.
Both the NC and the PDP, members of the Congress-led INDIA bloc, are at loggerheads over seat sharing in J&K.
NC’s Abdullah on Monday reiterated the stand that it will not concede any seat to the PDP in the Kashmir valley. The PDP is demanding the seat of Anantnag-Rajouri, which the party president Mehbooba Mufti considers her bastion.
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“We are not rigid. If we were rigid then we would have declared our candidates on all six seats like Mamata Banerjee did in West Bengal. We are not fielding our candidates on 50% of the seats. No other party within the INDIA alliance has offered 50% seats to Congress. It’s up to the Congress to concede seats to the PDP,” Mr. Abdullah said.
The Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh have six seats. The NC intends to field candidates from the three seats of the Valley and the Congress from the two seats of Jammu and one seat of Ladakh. At present, the seats of Jammu and Ladakh are with the BJP.
