Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad, J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari, and J&K People’s Conference chief Sajjad Lone.
Credit: PTI Photo, X/@sajadlone, X/@SMAltafBukhari
Srinagar: In the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir, where alliances are often fraught with tensions and complexities, a grand alliance led by veteran politician Ghulam Nabi Azad is taking shape to counter the I.N.D.I.A. alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Azad, who established his own Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) subsequent to his departure from the Congress in 2022, is currently engaged in discussions with J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari. Bukhari had separated from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2020 to form his own party.
To begin with, the Apni Party has opted not to nominate any candidate to contest against DPAP vice-chairperson G M Saroori, according to sources. Saroori is running against MoS PMO Jitendra Singh of the BJP and Lal Singh of the Congress in the Udhampur-Doda segment, which votes in the first phase of the polls on April 19.
The two parties are also maintaining communication with J&K People’s Conference (PC) chief Sajjad Lone. There is a high likelihood that the three parties will negotiate a seat-sharing agreement across J&K in the upcoming week, a senior leader of the Apni Party told DH.
He said Azad, Bukhari and Lone have set aside their differences for the time-being to form a grand alliance to counter I.N.D.I.A.
“A series of clandestine meetings between the leaders, held away from the prying eyes of the media and their respective party members have started to bear fruit. Despite their ideological differences and past rivalries, the leaders have found common ground,” he added.
Sources said the Azad-led alliance has tactical support from the BJP. While officially maintaining a distance, behind the scenes the BJP is leveraging its resources and influence to ensure the success of the Azad-led alliance, they revealed.
The Azad-led alliance is poised to undermine the voter base of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc in Udhampur and Jammu constituencies, potentially benefiting the BJP. Additionally, the joint candidates of the alliance on three valley seats could present a significant challenge to the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.
Amidst disagreements over seat sharing between the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – the primary constituents of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc in Jammu and Kashmir, it's likely that both parties will field candidates against each other on all three valley seats. This development could pose a considerable challenge to both parties, particularly in the Anantnag and Baramulla Lok Sabha segments.
For the BJP, the prospective alliance presents an opportunity to expand its footprint in the region and establish a stronger foothold in Kashmiri politics.