J&K Assembly Polls 2024: Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge Reach Srinagar

Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, Congress leader and LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, along with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, have reached Jammu and Kashmir to finalise the pre-poll alliance with the National Conference.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir):Amid the assembly elections fervour in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress president Malikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have reached Srinagar to chalk out a strategy for the polls and stitch a pre-poll alliance with the National Conference. Kharge and Rahul landed at Srinagar airport around 6 and are staying in Srinagar for a night.

Sources said that the Congress leaders will meet National Conference President Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah to stitch the pre-poll alliance for the elections.

NC and Congress contested the recent parliament elections in alliance on the five seats in Jammu and Kashmir in which NC won two seats of Kashmir while the Congress lost its two seats to BJP. However, their vote percentage was marginally higher than the 2019 parliament elections in two seats of Jammu.

"All Congress district presidents and block presidents are meeting the president and Rahul Gandhi on Thursday morning for discussions on preparations for the elections," Congress vice president G N Monga told ETV Bharat.

He said the leaders will meet all senior leaders of the party and give directions for strongly campaigning for the assembly elections so that the BJP is defeated.

Congress leaders and activists said the visit of the top leadership especially Rahul Gandhi will boost the morale of the party cadre and will create goodwill among the voters.

"Rahul Gandhi will meet 500 Congress workers from all districts of Kashmir. A press conference will also be held in Srinagar during his visit on Thursday," Congress Working Committee member Ghulam Ahmad Mir told ETV Bharat.

Sources said that Rahul Gandhi had dinner at Ahdoos Hotel in Lalchowk and then drove to an ice cream shop near Press Enclave where he had an ice cream.

Congress and NC have formed committees for negotiating pre-poll alliance; the committees have met twice in Srinagar. Jammu and Kashmir is slated for polls from September 18 when the elections will be held on 24 seats in the first phase. The second phase will be held on September 25 and the third phase will be held on October 1. Counting will be held on October 4.

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