‘Restoring statehood most important, there’ll be an alliance,’ says Rahul Gandhi Srinagar ahead of J-K assembly polls

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge met with party workers in poll-bound Jammu and Kashmir Thursday, August 22. Gandhi, who is also the Leader of theOpposition in Lok Sabha, said that the representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and their statehood is the most important thing in the Union Territory.

"You are not workers, you are family. As soon as we got to know that elections were going to be conducted, we first decided to come here to Jammu and Kashmir because we wanted to give a message to the people of every state that for us the representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and their statehood is the most important thing," Gandhi told party workers in Srinagar on Thursday, the second of his visit to the UT.

The PDP-BJP government formed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014 could not last the full 6-year term as BJP withdrew its support to former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2018. Since then, the erstwhile state has been under central rule.

In 2019, the Modi government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Gandhi repeated his comments at the press conference held later in Srinagar. Earlier, Kharge, addressing the media, said that the Congress party will fight for restoring Jammu and Kashmir's statehood status.

“The elections have been announced because of SC directions to hold polls before September 30, 2024. But I want to tell Modi sahab and BJP that you won't succeed in oppressing people's voices. Congress party is with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and will fight for their expectations,” Kharge said.

Gandhi, Kharge and other leaders, are in Jammu and Kashmir on a two-day visit to assess the party's preparations for the upcoming assembly polls in the Union Territory and explore a likely alliance with the National Conference (NC). The leaders will fly to Jammu on Thursday only.

"There will be an alliance (for the assembly elections) but it will be while maintaining the respect of the workers of the Congress party," Gandhi was quoted telling workers by a news report

The three-phase assembly polls in the UT are scheduled to begin with the first round on September 18. The other two rounds are scheduled for September 25 and October 1. The votes will be counted on October 4.

“In the history of India, after independence, many union territories have been converted into states but there is only one example when statehood was taken away and a union territory was created. This has never happened before and we want to give this message that the representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is important, it is important for us and it is important for the country," Gandhi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

In his address, Kharge mentioned that Rahul Gandhi is related to Jammu and Kashmir by blood and appealed to voters saying that their votes are needed to save the country and the culture and rights of the citizens.

“If we win the elections in J&K, the whole of India will come under our control... As Rahul Gandhi said, his relationship with J&K is not limited to likes or dislikes. He is related to J&K by blood... We hope J&K will stand with us in the upcoming elections.,” Kharge said.

The BJP is always the one who decides where and when to begin elections, the Congress president alleged. "All their anger and frustration are targeted only at Congress because no other party gives a tough fight. The only person who dares to fight is Rahul Gandhi... We need your votes to save the country, to save your culture and rights..." said Kharge.

Rahul and Kharge will take feedback from party workers about the grassroots-level preparations for the elections being held in the UT after a gap of ten years.

(With agency inputs)