Jammu, Mar 22: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Friday led the campaigning of joint Congress-NC candidates and said the alliance was aimed to keep India secular and "save" it from divisive politics. Vikramaditya Singh, grandson of erstwhile Sadr-e-Riyast senior Congress leader Karan Singh, and former minister Raman Bhalla, who is a joint candidate of the Congress and its alliance partner NC, from Udhampur and Jammu Lok Sabha seats respectively.

"We have given this sacrifice for one aim - to keep India a secular country and also keep India strong. There is no other goal (in entering into an alliance with the Congress)," Abdullah told reporters here while kickstarting campaigning of the joint candidates. "To bring country out of this quagmire, we have come together. We ensure you (Congress) our full support," he said. Abdullah said the NC has come out to save this country from divisive politics. 

Farooq leads campaigning of alliance candidates

"We have come out to save this country from forces (who are dividing the country on the basis of religion) and not to save this state only," he said. Farooq said we have to live in this country and strengthen it and its secular ethos which was preached by Mahatma Gandhi. He asked the Congress candidates to keep an eye on forces about malpractice. Vikramaditya, while speaking on the occasion, said they will fight at the grass-roots level together to ensure their victory.