Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, dined at the renowned Ahdoos restaurant in Srinagar on Wednesday evening. After enjoying the restaurant’s famous Kashmiri ‘Wazwan’ specialties, Gandhi was seen indulging in some ice cream at Lal Chowk, a popular spot in the city.
Arriving in Srinagar alongside Congress party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Gandhi was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd. Both leaders are set to chair a crucial meeting with party workers in Srinagar on Thursday morning before addressing a press conference later. They are also expected to travel to Jammu in the afternoon to meet with local party leaders.
Political activities in Jammu and Kashmir have intensified as both the Congress and BJP explore potential alliances with like-minded parties. The Congress leadership is likely to engage in discussions with leaders from the National Conference and the Peoples’ Democratic Party, both members of the INDIA bloc. Meanwhile, BJP has dispatched its leader Ram Madhav to Srinagar to rally local support before the elections.
The Election Commission of India recently announced that the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections will be held in three phases, starting on September 18, with the results scheduled to be declared on October 4. The region has been without an elected government since 2018, following the dissolution of the PDP-BJP alliance, which led to the resignation of then-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
