In a significant development, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah declared on Thursday that his party will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024 independently, dealing yet another blow to the INDIA alliance.
During a press conference, Abdullah unequivocally stated, “As far as seat sharing is concerned, NC will contest alone and there’s no doubt about it.”
The decision of the National Conference to go solo comes amidst a series of similar moves by other regional parties across the country. Earlier this month, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would not form an alliance with the Congress in the state.
Similarly, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently stated that her party would contest the Lok Sabha polls alone, ruling out any talks with the Congress. This stance further solidified when the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in Uttar Pradesh walked out of the alliance to join hands with the NDA.
It is pertinent to note that as other regional parties continue to defect from the joint opposition-led camp, the political landscape for the INDIA alliance seems to undergo shifting currents.
Further, ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls, another major challenge being faced by the opposition camp is the switching of its MPs and MLAs to the BJP and the NDA side.
Recently, three prominent Congress figures, including former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Milind Deora, and Baba Siddiqui, have switched sides to join the NDA camp.
