Srinagar/IBNS: Two days before the first phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the banned Jamaat-e-Islami and Engineer Rashid's Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) have struck a "strategic" alliance, media reports said.

The alliance was sealed during a meeting between Qadir Wani, the chief of the Jamaat panel, and Rashid.

While Jamaat has fielded nine candidates as Independents across the Kashmir valley, AIP has nominated 34 candidates across the union territory.

The AIP has decided to back Jamaat candidates in South Kashmir's Pulwama and Kulgam.

"In areas where both AIP and JEI have fielded candidates, the alliance has agreed to a 'friendly contest'," an official press release says as quoted by The Indian Express and adds, " In other constituencies, mutual support will be extended to ensure a unified approach to the elections."

With the Election Commission of India (ECI) having announced the much-awaited Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, political activity in the region is ramping up after a six-year break.

The last major political event was the Lok Sabha elections, but now, with the Assembly elections approaching, the political activities in the Union Territory have once again intensified.

The Jammu Kashmir Assembly polls are historic, being held for the first time since the region underwent major changes over the past five years, including the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

This led to the conversion of the state to a Union Territory (UT) and its division, with Ladakh becoming a separate UT without a legislature.

The elections will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with the results expected to be announced on October 4.