The president of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) in Jammu and Kashmir, Vikar Rasool Wani, has accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of enforcing an undeclared emergency in the union territory by failing to conduct assembly elections since 2019. Speaking at a press conference, Wani stated that the Congress believes in conducting elections at all levels, including panchayat, district development council, and block development council, and emphasized the need for assembly elections. He went on to criticize the BJP for making an excuse for not holding elections while other states are holding them regularly.
We have shared the stage with Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti under the PAGD setup. Now, we stand together on common issues. As Congress manifesto is entirely different from NC and PDP, a collaboration cannot take place, said Wani when asked if Congress would ally with the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) in the upcoming elections. He added that Congress was preparing for municipal elections not just in Jammu and Kashmir, but all over the country.
Wani also condemned the BJP over the recent train collision in Odisha that killed 275 people and injured nearly 1200, stating that the government has failed and blames it on Nehru for their mishaps. He reiterated that Congress wants to work with secular parties that want to work for the people and whose manifesto aligns with Congress’s national-level manifesto.