The first phase of the elections will be announced on August 20, with polling scheduled for September 18.

Speaking to reporters in Doda district, NC leader Faroow Abdullah said, “He (his son Omar Abdullah) does not want to fight the elections under the present setup. He has made up his mind that he will not fight the elections till the restoration of statehood (of Jammu and Kashmir). However, I am going to fight the elections as I am not dead.”

Abdullah insisted that these militants have infiltrated rather than being airdropped by drones.

Led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, the EC officials will meet the representatives of political parties to get their feedback on conducting the polls.

Abdullah referred to the recent terror attacks in Jammu and added that the Indian government will not engage in discussions with Pakistan until terrorism is eradicated, regardless of how many people want it.

Speaking to the media after the two-day Working Group (WG) meeting, Omar Abdullah said it “primarily focused on preparations for the assembly polls, along with discussions on other issues.”

He proposed that both countries should work together to resolve all outstanding issues, including terrorism and Kashmir, and added that dialogues were the only way forward to bring peace to the region.

Party's subdued celebrations undermine the hard work put in by Mian Altaf and Mehdi to secure victory.

Abdullah, the former chief minister, stated that if the Centre does not initiate a probe into the two violent incidents, his party would seek the involvement of an international committee to identify those responsible for the attacks. The attacks occurred on Saturday night, resulting in the death of Aijaz Sheikh, a former sarpanch associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in Shopian, and injuring a tourist couple from Rajasthan in Anantnag.

Says guns killed Kashmiri men, women, children and leaders like Abdul Gani Lone, Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq

"Our religion Islam tells us to treat everyone equally. Our religion does not tell us to look down on other religions. It tells us to respect other faiths like we respect our faith," Abdullah told reporters here.

The National Conference vice president was responding to a question about whether the senior Abdullah might stage a comeback when assembly elections are held in Jammu and Kashmir.