Can't see Congress in power with over 300 seats in 2024 Lok Sabha polls, says Ghulam Nabi Azad

Poonch: Senior Congress leader and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said that he does not see the grand old party winning 300 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Speaking on reversing the decision of the government on the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Azad while addressing a rally in Pooch district said that only Supreme Court can take such a decision or Congress has to come power with 300 plus seats but he does not see that happening. However, Azad said that he prays that Congress wins over 300 seats. “Only Supreme Court can decide on Article 370. Besides the apex court, only the ruling government can do it. The current government has abrogated it, how will they do it? And I cannot assure you that Congress will win 300 seats in the 2024 elections. I pray that Congress wins 300 seats but I don’t see that happening now,” said the Congress leader. Earlier this week, Azad had urged political parties to create an environment in the state that the people start believing that the election can be held and political process can be carried out. “I am not going into party politics now. I am not speaking against any party now because this is not the environment in the state right now where one party speaks against the other. Rather I would request that all political parties, instead of abusing each other, should create such an environment in the state that the people here start believing that the election can be held and the politics could be done,” he had said. “Usually, Union Territories are upgraded to State. But in our case, a State was downgraded to UT. It’s like demoting DGP to a post of thanedaar (SHO), CM to MLA, and Chief Secretary to Patwari. No wise man can do this,” he added. The Central government had abrogated Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 and bifurcated it into two Union Territories. The government has said that the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir will be restored at an appropriate time.