Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that as things stand currently there is no chance of the Congress getting 300 seats in the 2024 parliamentary elections.
Azad said this while addressing a political programme at Krishna Chander Park in the Krishna Ghati area of the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on December 1.
He was explaining and justifying his silence over Article 370 in public when he commented on his party. He was responding to Jammu Kashmir National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, who criticised the silence of the Congress on Article 370.
#WATCH | Addressing a rally in J&K's Poonch, former CM & senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said he does not see the party winning 300 seats in the next general elections. pic.twitter.com/fsoRuCtnpH
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2021
“I alone had been raising the issue of Article 370 in the Parliament during the past three years. Now the matter is before the Supreme Court. So, just to please people I should not speak on this issue which is not in our control. Only Supreme Court where matter is pending can restore Article 370 or the Centre,” he said.
Azad pointed out that since the Narendra Modi led NDA government had scrapped Article 370, it would not restore it. Hence the ultimate option is to wait for 2024 when the parliamentary elections will take place. But Azad said chances of revival of the Congress were very dim.
#WATCH | Addressing a rally in J&K’s Poonch, former CM & senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said he does not see the party winning 300 seats in the next general elections. pic.twitter.com/fsoRuCtnpH
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2021
“We don’t know when we will have 300 MPs on our own to form the government. I can’t promise to do it. I can’t say that in 2024 we will get 300 MPs and we will restore it. May God get us 300 MPs. But at present, I don’t see it. I can’t make false promises hence I avoid talking about Article 370,” Azad said.
Azad who is touring Poonch and Rajouri to hold political programmes recently said that restoration of statehood and holding of early assembly elections in the valley was his main demand and it was irrelevant to talk about Article 370.
Azad is a prominent member of G-23 of the Congress and the group has earned the displeasure of the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi for advocating organisational reforms of the Congress. Sonia Gandhi even dropped him from the disciplinary committee of the party.
Azad’ statement has come at the time West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has stated that the Congress is not in a position to lead an alliance of the Opposition parties in 2024. She even hinted at the opposition’s alliance without Congress.
