Indian Youth Congress President Slams BJP, Anticipates Victory in J&K Elections

Indian Youth Congress President Uday Bhanu Chib believes the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections represent a stand by locals against the BJP-led central government. Chib is optimistic about a Congress-NC alliance victory and vows to tackle issues like unemployment and statehood restoration.

Uday Bhanu Chib, the newly-appointed president of the Indian Youth Congress, stated that the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election is a people's movement against the BJP's authoritarian rule. He expressed confidence in a Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance victory on October 8, aiming for a strong majority. 'These elections are not being contested by Congress or NC alone, but by the people of Jammu and Kashmir against this dictatorial government,' Chib told ANI.

Chib, who previously served as the Jammu and Kashmir chief of the Indian Youth Congress, thanked Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for his appointment. 'I want to thank Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for giving this opportunity to a man from an ordinary family in Jammu,' he expressed.

Chib outlined the Indian Youth Congress's priorities, which include addressing paper leaks and unemployment and holding the BJP-led Union Government accountable. He also reiterated the Congress-NC government's commitment to restoring the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir as promised in their manifesto. The elections are being conducted in three phases, with the third and final phase slated for October 1, and vote counting scheduled for October 8.

As Jammu and Kashmir faces its first election since the abrogation of Article 370, the political landscape is charged with several parties and independents contesting. In response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's comments about the NC-Congress alliance following Pakistan's agenda, NC Vice President Omar Abdullah dismissed the allegations, highlighting the sacrifices made by the party over the past 35 years. 'If we had to follow Pakistan's agenda, we would have done so 35 years ago. The sacrifices of over 4,500 colleagues stand testament to our commitment,' Abdullah stated.

(With inputs from agencies.)