NC had to ‘sacrifice’ many seats for alliance with Congress: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar: National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah Friday said the pre-poll alliance with the Congress for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls was not an easy decision as the party had to “sacrifice” many seats it felt it had a chance to win.

Addressing a party function at the NC headquarters Nawa-i-Subah, Abdullah said the struggle for the “restoration of the rights” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is a collective fight.

“This is not only our fight, but of the whole Jammu and Kashmir. If we have to undo the wrongs done to us, it will not only benefit us, but every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir. We are fighting this battle collectively for Jammu and Kashmir.

“That is why we joined hands with the Congress, even as it was not an easy decision for us, (because) we had to sacrifice those seats where we knew only the NC can give a tough fight,” the NC vice president said.

“In many seats, like the low-lying areas of Jammu, Poonch, and Rajouri, the Congress and we can together fight those powers, that is why we gave the Congress some seats here from the NC’s kitty,” he added.

Abdullah said the first impact of the pre-poll alliance was seen when former Congress leader and Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad announced he will not campaign for his party in the polls.