National Conference leader Omar Abdullah.
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: As the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections draw near, the National Conference (NC) has unveiled a manifesto that prominently features the restoration of Article 370 and statehood.
These pledges are part of a broader set of 12 guarantees, which include implementing the autonomy resolution passed by the erstwhile Assembly in 2000.
Leading the party’s campaign, NC Vice-President Omar Abdullah also promised to repeal the Public Safety Act (PSA), create 1 lakh jobs, provide six free LPG cylinders to families in the economically weaker section (EWS) category, and offer free public transport for women.
Further commitments in the manifesto include the release of political prisoners, fostering dialogue between India and Pakistan, ensuring the dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits, streamlining passport verification processes, ending unjust terminations, and stopping the “unnecessary harassment” of people on highways.
Additional pledges involve passing the J&K Youth Employment Generation Act within three months, enhancing marriage assistance, increasing the medical allowance for pensioners from Rs 300 to Rs 1,000, establishing a Minority Commission, and strengthening the Public Distribution System.
During a press conference to release the manifesto, Omar described it as the NC's vision document and a governance roadmap, stressing that the party is making only those promises it can fulfil.
“We strive to restore [Articles] 370 and 35A, and statehood as prior to August 5, 2019,” the NC document stated. “In the interim period, we will endeavor to redraw the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, and the Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Rules, 2019.”
The manifesto was drafted by former finance minister and senior NC leader Abdul Rahim Rather and Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi.
However, a key development came not from the manifesto itself but from Omar’s unequivocal rejection of any alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the event of a hung assembly, setting a decisive tone for the party's election strategy.
The three-phase elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, first after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, are scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1, with results expected on October 4.