Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 14: In a fresh twist to the speculations and developments in the political circles going on over choice of candidates against the seats to get vacated, the contest of which is on Mar 7, NC's most powerful leader Devinder Rana may now be put on the lone reserved seat of Doda. Sources said while Congress has given nod to its ally NC about this, final decision is yet to be taken. It is pertinent to mention here that Doda seat is safest on which there would be no contest at all. Sources said the likely decision has disappointed and dismayed a lot of senior leaders in the party who were strong contenders for this for a long time. There are scores of such leaders within NC who have spent over three decades and contributed significantly in the hope they would be suitably accommodated in the Upper House. But NC high command's overtures have only disappointed them and cadres down the line.
Congress, it is learnt, is toying with this idea on the assurance that it would contest on two other seats from Jammu. In the Congress camp, the probables who are gaining weight over others are Gurumukh Singh senior leader of the party and Bhupinder Singh Salathia, senior advocate and co-convenor of Sri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti. And, above all, a few surprise visitors in the Delhi Durbar who have left everybody wondering - Balwan Singh and Ashok Sharma (who have yet to formally rejoin Congress after fighting 2008-Assembly Polls as Independent candidates) Rajiv Chuni and S.P. Verma (President of Gandhi Global Family). |
