National Conference won't enter into any pre-poll alliance in J&K: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar: Farooq Abdullah, the former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister and President of National Conference (NC), said on Thursday that his party will not enter into any pre-poll alliance and will contest the Lok Sabha as well as Assembly polls on its own.

Abdullah's statement on Thursday that the NC will not enter any pre-poll alliance has set at rest all speculations about the party sharing seats with any other party during the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

This assertion by the 80-year-old NC President has also come as a major setback to the INDIA bloc.

Abdullah was speaking to mediapersons at his party headquarters in Srinagar on Thursday.

The NC is not entering into any alliance with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) led by Mehbooba Mufti.

The NC wants to fight four out of five Lok Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir and one from the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency.

The former Chief Minister on Thursday expressed hope that the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections would be held simultaneously in J&K.