NC-Congress Alliance Poised to Govern J&K: NC Dominates Valley, BJP Triumphs in Jammu

NC-Congress Alliance Poised to Govern J&K: NC Dominates Valley, BJP Triumphs in Jammu

Omar Abdullah is fast emerging as the consensus candidate for the post of Chief Minister

The National Conference (NC) emerged as the single largest party in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday (October 8, 2024) and won 42 seats in the 90-member Assembly of the union territory, while the Bharatiya Janata Party retained its stronghold Jammu by winning 29 seats.

However, the NC ally Congress’ performance was dismal and it only won six seats, five from the Kashmir valley and only one from the Jammu province. It had fielded candidates from 32 seats as part of a seat-sharing arrangement with the NC.

“People have given NC a decisive mandate. This mandate is a rejection of the steps taken by the BJP on August 5, 2019 in Jammu and Kashmir [by abrogating Article 370]. We have done far better than we expected. The BJP is far off from the half mark even. People resoundingly came out and voted for the NC,” National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah, who won from twin seats of Ganderbal and Budgam, told.

The National Conference (NC) emerged as the single largest party in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday (October 8, 2024) and won 42 seats in the 90-member Assembly of the union territory, while the Bharatiya Janata Party retained its stronghold Jammu by winning 29 seats.

However, the NC ally Congress’ performance was dismal and it only won six seats, five from the Kashmir valley and only one from the Jammu province. It had fielded candidates from 32 seats as part of a seat-sharing arrangement with the NC.

Mr. Abdullah is fast emerging as the consensus candidate for the post of Chief Minister. The final decision will be made public in the next two days after the allies, the NC and the Congress, meet in Srinagar, party sources said. Meanwhile, NC president Farooq Abdullah said his son would be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

Improves performance

In its first such performance since 1996 when the NC won 57 seats, the party managed to sweep all seats in Kashmir’s valley’s Srinagar district (eight seats), Budgam district (five seats) and Ganderbal district (two seats). In south Kashmir, once a bastion of the PDP, the NC managed to win 10 out of 16 seats. The NC improved its performance in the Jammu province’s Pir Panjal valley and the Chenab valley, where it won six out of 16 seats.