The NC-PDP rift has also put the future of the INDIA bloc at stake for the Lok Sabha elections in J&K.
Since it was formed in October 2020, the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgamation of seven major political parties in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), has finally collapsed.
The PAGD, which sought the restoration of Article 370 (the special status of the erstwhile state), had claimed that it would fight using constitutional, legal, and political means to reverse the Modi government’s decision.
However, in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the two major parties within the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc — the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) — have decided to contest polls separately. For example, NC Vice-President Omar Abdullah declared last month that his party would field candidates from all three seats in Kashmir during the polls.
This story was originally published in thequint.com. Read the full story here.