Another setback for INDIA Bloc: Farooq Abdullah's party to contest polls alone in J&K

In yet another setback to the INDIA alliance, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah Thursday said that his party will go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. He further said the J&K Assembly polls could potentially take place at the same time as the Lok Sabha election.

The INDIA Bloc suffered yet another blow when the National Conference announced its intention to run unopposed in the next elections. The National Conference would challenge the polls on its own merits, without forming any kind of partnership with other political parties, according to party head Farooq Abdullah.

He further said the J&K Assembly polls could potentially take place at the same time as the Lok Sabha election. “As far as seat sharing is concerned, NC will contest alone and there’s no doubt about it,” Abdullah said during a press conference. The three-time former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was a strong votary of the INDIA bloc and attended all the meetings of the opposition alliance.

Abdullah voiced worries last month on the absence of agreement on the seat-sharing agreements within the India bloc.  Earlier this month, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that the AAP would not stitch up an alliance with the Congress in the state.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently called Abdullah to discuss suspected financial irregularities at the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association. The issue concerns the purported embezzlement of money via transfers to unconnected people' personal bank accounts and inexplicable cash withdrawals from the association's accounts.

Abdullah disregarded the summons and explained his absence from the office as being out of town in a letter and email to the ED officers.