With the counting of votes underway in J&K and Haryana, early trends show that the Congress is leading in both regions. The Congress-National Congress Alliance in Jammu and Kashmir is ahead in 48 seats, while the BJP has 26. In Haryana, the BJP is leading with 47 seats while the Congress has 35.
Exit polls predict that the Congress alliance will make a clean sweep in J&K and Haryana but the Bharatiya Janata Party is holding its own. J&K’s BJP chief Ravinder Raina is confident that the saffron party will win around 30 to 35 seats on its own and form the government with the support of its allies. He believes the BJP will easily cross 46 – the majority mark.
It is a tight race.
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Engineer Rashid Wants J&K Statehood
Meanwhile, in J&K, Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid has urged the mainstream parties to hold off on government formation until Jammu and Kashmir statehood is restored. He highlighted that the INDIA alliance has its limitations and the Congress has remained silent on Article 370.
On an interim bail till October 12, Rashid said that even if a party or alliance secures a majority, it would be better for them to tell the Union government to return their statehood. He urged the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to unite the people.
“The political parties in J&K should move beyond issuing statements and take practical actions to restore the self-confidence and rights of the people,” Rashid added.
