<p>A day after National Conference (NC) announced its decision to go solo in the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, hinting at cracks in the Gupkar Alliance, Farooq Abdullah Thursday tried to do damage control by saying that the alliance would continue.</p>.<p>On Wednesday the NC, which had joined hands with arch-rival People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to set up People’s Alliance for Gupkar Deceleration (PAGD) in October 2020, said it will contest the next assembly elections on its own. It denounced “unfair treatment” which it claimed the party has been subject to by the PAGD. The NC’s move had signaled a possible end to the PAGD.</p>.<p>However, NC president Farooq Abdullah, also a former chief minister of J&K, clarified that “many would want an end to the PAGD, but the alliance will not be affected”.</p>.<p>Asked about Wednesday’s resolution passed by the provincial committee of the NC about the decision to go solo, he said, “Ours is a democratic party and its leaders can pass resolutions. But whatever happens when the elections are declared, will depend on the situation at that time.”</p>.<p>Interestingly, octogenarian Abdullah heads the five-party alliance comprising the NC, the PDP, CPI, CPM and Awami National Conference. He said people need patience and tolerance and “unless these two things are there, no alliance can succeed.”</p>.<p>Responding to NC's resolution, PDP chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari said, “PAGD was conceived for a much larger cause than just an electoral alliance. If some constituent of the alliance has reservations for any kind of electoral alliance, that will not impact our unity for the larger goal.”</p>.<p>The PAGD was formed on October 15, 2020, to work towards restoring the special status of J&K which was revoked in August 2019. Following its formation, the PAGD contested its first-ever district development council polls in alliance. However, bickering within the constituents of the alliance over seat sharing surfaced immediately after it was formed.</p>.<p>In January 2021, in a first blow to the PAGD, the People’s Conference (PC) led by Sajad Lone pulled out saying there had been a breach of trust between the constituent parties.</p>
<p>A day after National Conference (NC) announced its decision to go solo in the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, hinting at cracks in the Gupkar Alliance, Farooq Abdullah Thursday tried to do damage control by saying that the alliance would continue.</p>.<p>On Wednesday the NC, which had joined hands with arch-rival People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to set up People’s Alliance for Gupkar Deceleration (PAGD) in October 2020, said it will contest the next assembly elections on its own. It denounced “unfair treatment” which it claimed the party has been subject to by the PAGD. The NC’s move had signaled a possible end to the PAGD.</p>.<p>However, NC president Farooq Abdullah, also a former chief minister of J&K, clarified that “many would want an end to the PAGD, but the alliance will not be affected”.</p>.<p>Asked about Wednesday’s resolution passed by the provincial committee of the NC about the decision to go solo, he said, “Ours is a democratic party and its leaders can pass resolutions. But whatever happens when the elections are declared, will depend on the situation at that time.”</p>.<p>Interestingly, octogenarian Abdullah heads the five-party alliance comprising the NC, the PDP, CPI, CPM and Awami National Conference. He said people need patience and tolerance and “unless these two things are there, no alliance can succeed.”</p>.<p>Responding to NC's resolution, PDP chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari said, “PAGD was conceived for a much larger cause than just an electoral alliance. If some constituent of the alliance has reservations for any kind of electoral alliance, that will not impact our unity for the larger goal.”</p>.<p>The PAGD was formed on October 15, 2020, to work towards restoring the special status of J&K which was revoked in August 2019. Following its formation, the PAGD contested its first-ever district development council polls in alliance. However, bickering within the constituents of the alliance over seat sharing surfaced immediately after it was formed.</p>.<p>In January 2021, in a first blow to the PAGD, the People’s Conference (PC) led by Sajad Lone pulled out saying there had been a breach of trust between the constituent parties.</p>
