‘No Two Opinions About It’: Farooq Abdullah’s NC To Fight Lok Sabha Polls Alone

The development comes after Farooq Abdullah was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case but skipped the summons.

Breaking News: In heavy blow to the opposition INDIA bloc, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister-led National Conference has decided to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha polls alone. Speaking about the decision, Farooq Abdullah said the party would fight the general elections on its own merit and won’t align with any political parties or faction.

“As far as seat sharing is concerned, I want to make it clear the National Conference will contest elections on its own strength. There are no two opinions about it,” Abdullah said.

Farooq, one of the key architects of the INDIA bloc who attended all the meetings of the opposition grouping, did not reveal why the NC took this sudden decision.

Notably, Abdullah had last month expressed his concerns on the lack of consensus among INDIA bloc constituents on seat-sharing arrangements. Abdullah appeared of former Union Minister Kapil Sibal’s YouTube channel and highlighted the need for reaching an agreement on seat-sharing among INDIA bloc members.

“If we have to save the country, we will have to forget differences and think about the country,” the former 3-time chief minister had said.

Notably, Abdullah has also reportedly not ruled out re-joining the BJP-led NDA in the near future.

Farooq skips ED summons

The development comes after Farooq Abdullah was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case but skipped the summons, informing the probe agency Tuesday that he could not appear as he wasn’t in Srinagar where he was asked to depose.

Official said that the NC President communicated it to the ED officials through “an email and a letter” that he wasn’t in Srinagar. The agency had asked him depose at the ED office in Srinagar on Tuesday.

The 86-year-old politician was last called by the central agency in this case on January 11 but he did not appear then as well.

The ED investigation pertains to alleged financial irregularities at the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association. The former chief minister was charge-sheeted by the agency in this case in 2022.

The case relates to alleged siphoning off JKCA funds by transferring to various personal bank accounts of unrelated parties, including those of JKCA office-bearers, and by way of unexplained cash withdrawals from its bank accounts, the ED had said.

NC, PDP still part of INDIA bloc: Congress

Meanwhile, reacting to Farooq’s announcement of NC going solo in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress asserted that the Abdullah-led party and Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP are still part of the INDIA bloc and will continue to remain so.

#WATCH | Bihar: ON NC Chief Farooq Abdullah's statement that NC will contest the elections alone, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh says, "Talks are going on. Every party has their own limitations. National Conference and PDP have been a part of the INDIA bloc, and will continue to… pic.twitter.com/lCmTQrjwJJ

— ANI (@ANI) February 15, 2024

“Talks are going on. Every party has their own limitations. National Conference and PDP have been a part of the INDIA bloc, and will continue to remain so,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told news agency ANI.

(With inputs from agencies)