Srinagar, Apr 3: The upcoming Lok Sabha election showdown between the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is set to inject further suspense and interest into the political arena, despite being a predictable development.
As longstanding political rivals, both parties also hold significant positions within the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.). While their rivalry has been clear for years, the stakes in the upcoming polls have solidified their decision to contest against each other once again.
Efforts were made within the I.N.D.I.A. bloc to persuade the NC to leave the Anantnag – Rajouri – Poonch seat for the PDP, but these attempts proved futile. The NC insisted on retaining the seat it had won in the 2019 polls, resulting in both parties gearing up to contest all three constituencies in Kashmir.
Despite their preparations, both parties refrained from making their intentions public initially, as they sought to maintain the facade of unity and prioritize the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. However, with the election process underway, NC and PDP had no choice but to publicly declare their intentions to contest independently, setting the stage for a blame game between the two.
This blame game is expected to intensify during the campaigning, as both parties vie for maximum votes by targeting each other, as seen in previous elections. However, political analysts predict that the electoral clash between NC and PDP could open the door for other parties to capitalize on the division of votes.
The division of votes may advantage the BJP in the Anantnag-Rajouri-Poonch seat if the party fields a candidate there, particularly with the entry of Ghulam Nabi Azad further splitting the votes. The ripple effects of the NC-PDP clash may also impact constituencies like Srinagar and Baramulla, as well as potentially influencing the stance of parties like the Congress and CPI(M).
In light of these developments, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti announced that her party would reveal its candidates in the coming days, while NC Vice President Omar Abdullah stated that decisions regarding their candidates for Srinagar and Baramulla constituencies would be made by the party’s parliamentary board.
Furthermore, Omar Abdullah confirmed that party President Dr. Farooq Abdullah would not contest due to health reasons, indicating that he may step into the fray himself. He also urged the people of Srinagar to actively participate in the polls to ensure their voices are heard in parliament.
