Jammu-Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi addressed a public rally in Ramban district today (September 4). He kickstarted the Congress' campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls being held after a gap of 10 years.
Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said, "For the first time in the history of India, statehood has been snatched away. Union Territory was first made a state... A state has been abolished and the rights of the people have been snatched away. First of all, the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir has to be returned because not only your state has been snatched away, your rights, your wealth, everything is being snatched away from you. In 1947, we removed the kings and formed a democratic government, we gave the country a Constitution. Today, there is a king in Jammu and Kashmir, his name is LG."
These rallies are part of the campaign for the party's candidates contesting in the first phase of the elections on September 18 (Wednesday). Besides Rahul Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are among the 40 star campaigners of the party in the upcoming three-phased Assembly polls.
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) President Farooq Abdullah will join the election rallies of Rahul Gandhi.
Jammu-Kashmir election schedule
Polling to elect 90 members of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1.
"Rahul ji will kickstart the party's campaign where he will address two public rallies in Ramban and Anantnag districts in support of Congress candidates on Wednesday," Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Tariq Hameed Karra told media.
Congress, National Conference enters into pre-poll alliance
The Congress and the National Conference have entered into a pre-poll alliance for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, being held for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019.
According to the seat-sharing pact reached by the National Conference (NC) and Congress, the former will contest 51 seats and the latter 32 seats. The two parties will have friendly contests on five seats and they left one seat each for the CPI(M) and the Panthers Party.
Rahul Gandhi's J-K visit
Karra said Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Jammu from Delhi on Wednesday and then fly to the Gool area of Ramban district to address a rally in the afternoon. He will campaign for former Jammu and Kashmir unit chief of the party Vikar Rasool Wani, who is contesting from the Banihal assembly constituency. Polling for the seat will be held in the first phase on September 18.
Gandhi will then fly to the Dooru area of Anantnag district, where he will address another rally in support of Congress General Secretary and former minister Ghulam Ahmed Mir, who is contesting the Dooru assembly segment.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha will return to Delhi in the evening from Srinagar, he said. Ghulam Ahmed Mir, Vikar Rasool Wani, and former Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Peerzada Mohammad Syed are contesting in the first phase of the elections.
(With inputs from Manzoor Mir)
