SRINAGAR: NC President Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said that his party will contest upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir alone and won’t go for any alliance. Just a day ahead of ECI’s J&K visit, Abdullah said that the poll body cannot fianlise dates for Assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir on its own as “every affair lies in the hands of Prime Minister and Home Minister of India.” “Our party will fight assembly elections on its own, and will not form any alliance in the elections,” Dr Farooq told reporters in Srinagar. He said ECI is visiting J&K to hold discussions with concerned who will submit details to Government of India afterwards to take a final call. “Whether dates for Assembly elections in J&K be announced or not, it is evident that ECI delegation is coming here. They will hold discussions with everyone, after which they will talk to Government of India and decide dates. They (ECI) cannot finalise dates on their own. Today everything lies in the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah,” Dr Farooq Abdullah said. When asked about the amendments done in Hajj policy, the NC president said this government can go to any extent, but indulging in religious affairs is absolutely unfair. “This present dispensation can do anything, but one day their last rites will also be done. Then you will see what next formation will do. This is not a big thing. Government should not interfere into religious matters,” he said. While commenting on the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, Dr Farooq said “The ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was pro-India, while the people of Bangladesh are not. Today India should be ready to contain challenges”. “With the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, Today India has no friend in its neighbourhood,” Dr Farooq added.
