'Assembly elections in J&K will be held after Amarnath Yatra,' says Farooq Abdullah

National Conference (NC) Chief Farooq Abdullah on Sunday claimed that assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after the Amarnath Yatra. "As soon as the Amarnath Yatra ends, mark my words, elections will be held in J&K," he said while speaking to reporters. 

When asked if he was ready for the polls, Abdullah said: "We have been ready for years. They were not ready."

The Amarnath Yatra 2024 shall commence from June 29 and conclude on August 19. 

In December last year, the Supreme Court upheld the Centre's decision to scrap Article 370 but said steps should be taken to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest. The apex court directed the Election Commission of India (EC) to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024.

Speaking on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's statement that 'PoK will be merged with India', Abdullah says, "If the defence minister is saying it then go ahead. Who are we to stop? But remember, they (Pakistan) are also not wearing bangles. It has atom bombs, and unfortunately, that atom bomb will fall on us."

Lok Sabha elections for 5 seats are underway in J&K. So far, voting for two seats has concluded, and 1 seat will go to polls in phase 3 on May 7. The Congress and NC are contesting the elections together.