Alliance With NC A 'National Compulsion': Congress

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- The congress was ready to contest on its own at all 90 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections and the alliance with the National conference was forged under a“national compulsion”, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Tariq Hameed Karra said on Saturday.

The alliance was forged for the stability and betterment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

The National Conference and the Congress Monday have finalised a seat-share formula, with the parties set to contest 51 and 32 seats, respectively.

“The Congress will become stronger in the future. We had some alliance compulsions, the coalition was forged under a national mood, national compulsion. If those parameters of the alliance were not followed, then the Congress was ready to contest all 90 seats,” Karra said.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters during which former Kokernag MLA Abdul Rahim Rather and activist Irfan Hafeez Lone joined the party.

Karra said the coalition was forged by adhering to the alliance principles.

“The alliance has been forged for stability, it has been forged by adhering to the alliance principles, and for the betterment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

Asked for his comment about the situation in the BJP in Jammu, with many of its leaders resigning from the party following the distribution of tickets, the Congress' Jammu and Kashmir chief said there was a conflict of ideology in the BJP.

“That is their issue. Their conflict within is basically of ideology also. There are so many BJPs in one BJP. It is their ideological conflict. Within the BJP, they don't know themselves which ideology to follow, which leader to follow,” Karra said.

Elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1 and the results declared on October 4.

Rahul To Lead Campaign In J&K

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will address two election rallies in Jammu and Kashmir on September 4 to campaign for the candidates of the NC-Congress alliance, a senior Congress leader said on Saturday.

AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that it was the desire of the candidates of the alliance and the people of J&K in general to have Gandhi campaign in the Union territory.

“Rahulji will visit J&K on September 4 and will address election campaign rallies in Kashmir as well as Jammu for the alliance candidates,” he added.

Mir, who is contesting the assembly elections from Dooru in the south Kashmir district here, said Gandhi will address an election rally at the Dooru stadium.

He said Gandhi would address another rally likely in the Sangaldan area of Jammu.

“We are happy that he (Gandhi) accepted our invitation. This programme is for the first phase only. He might visit J&K again for the other phases,” Mir said.

The AICC general secretary said the Congress has lined up over 40 star campaigners, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Congress announced the first list of nine candidates for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections in a document signed by AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal on August 27.

Prominent leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir will contest from Dooru and Vikar Rasool Wani from Banihal. While Peerzada Mohd Syed will contest for the important Anantnag constituency, Sheikh Riaz seeks the Doda seat.

The party has fielded Surinder Singh Channi from the Tral seat, Amanullah Mantoo from Devsar, Shaikh Zafarullah from Inderwal, Nadeem Sharief from Bhadarwah, and Pradeep Kumar Bhagat from Doda West.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls are being held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1.

National Conference (NC) will contest 51 of 90 seats and Congress 32 according to the seat-sharing pact reached by the two parties for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. The two parties will also have a contest on five seats. The two parties have left one seat each for CPI(M) and Panthers Party.

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