Restoration of Art 370 may take a century, but people’s aspirations will be fulfilled: Dr Farooq

NC-Cong alliance will get majority, form next govt in J&K, says Omar

Srinagar: National Conference President, Dr Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said that the party was happy by forging an alliance with Indian National Congress (INC) for the assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir while NC Vice President Omar Abdullah said that Jamaat-e-Islami’s support to Peoples Conference would be akin to supporting to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Dr Farooq said that in any coalition, there are compromises and negotiations, where parties have to “give something and take something.”Talking to reporters in Pampore and Pulwama, Abdullah while reacting to the reports of some party leaders expressing displease over the pre-poll alliance, said that the coalition requires mutual understanding and consensus from both the parties.He said that the party is happy with the decision and he is hopeful that people will vote for the alliance.He said that it took 75 years for the people of India to get independence and it can take 100 years to restore Article 370 but one day, the will of the people of J&K will be fulfilled.Meanwhile, Omar said the Peoples Conference is directly linked to Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and any support by Jamaat-e-Islami to the Peoples Conference would be akin to supporting BJP.Speaking with reporters in Pahalgam after party candidate Altaf Ahmad Wani (Kaloo) filed his nomination papers, Omar said that till now contesting elections was “haram” for the JeI, but now it’s “halal”, so let it be. “If they are willing to contest polls, it’s a welcome step. We wanted them to contest on their own symbol, but that didn’t happen due to its ban,” he said.Replying to a query that Jamaat candidates are considering supporting the Peoples Conference and Engineer Rashid led Awami Itihaad Party, he said that everyone knows that PC is directly linked to BJP and if Jamaat candidates will support them, it would be akin to supporting BJP directly.“Till now links of AIP are not known, but if Jamaat is also considering supporting them, it will put a question mark on the AIP as well,” he said.He also stated that the NC-Congress alliance will comfortably get a majority and they will form the next government—(KNO)