Jammu, March 10 -- In a major setback to the Opposition INDIA Bloc, the two mainstream political parties in Kashmir valley, the National Conference and the Peoples' Democratic Party, have decided to part ways and contest against each other in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls rather than fielding a common candidate against the Bharatiya Janata Party.

With this, the two main constituents of the INDIA Bloc in Jammu and Kashmir have also brought curtains down on the Peoples' Alliance for Gupkar declaration (PAGD), floated by the Kashmir-based mainstream political parties on the slogan of restoring the special status of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir and revoking Abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A.

Amid rumblings within the PAGD allian...