History repeated itself in Jammu on Tuesday as the Gen Next of the Abdullah's and Gandhi's addressed an election rally together in Jammu. They were seen campaigning for the Congress candidate from Jammu Poonch Lok Sabha constituency that will vote on the 16th.
For Rahul Gandhi and Omar Abdullah, it was a moment to recall the long association between their families. A scene reminiscent of their fathers coming together in 1987 when Farooq Abdullah joined hands with Rajiv Gandhi to form a political alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.
"It's an occasion today for the third generation of my family and fourth generation of Rahul's family to come together to take forward the association between the two families," said O,ar Abdullah, Chief Minister, J&K.
The relationship between the two families goes back to the times of Sheikh Abdullah and Jawaharlal Nehru.The Indira-Sheikh accord of 1975 was instrumental in bringing Sheikh Abdullah back to power with Congress support.
In 1986 there was the Rajeev-Farooq accord.
Last year, the National Conference and the Congress fought the assembly elections separately but forged an post-poll alliance to form the government.
"Omar and I will fight for you, for your employment, for your education," said Congress General Secretary, Rahul Gandhi.
"More than two decades after Farooq Abdullah and Rajiv Gandhi struck an accord, the next generation of Abdullahs and Gandhis has come together to form an alliance. But whether they will be able to pull it through and sustain it for a longer time is anybody's guess.
