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| PDP-Congress pre-poll alliance unlikely | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | May 2
As New Delhi begins to chalk out election strategy for Jammu and Kashmir, the proposals of a pre-poll alliance between the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party is being considered by the poll strategists as unrewarding for both parties.
Sources told EARLY TIMES that the leadership and poll strategists of both the parties already have had several rounds of discussions on the issue and the emerging dominant opinion say that there should not be a pre-poll alliance between both parties. However, despite their mudslinging against each other, there is an in-principal concurrence between top leadership of both political parties to have an alliance with an understanding that the issue of pre or post poll alliance should be discussed at an appropriate time depending upon the prevailing political situation.
The PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is currently in New Delhi where he is slated to have meetings with the Congress leaders to discuss the issue. Party president Mehbooba Mufti is already in the Union Capital.
Sources said that the Congress high command was “too keen” to continue alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party but the nature of alliance was a subject depending on the prevailing conditions and trends. At more than two occasions in past few months, the top PDP leadership including the patron Mufti and Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig have gone on record saying that the party was working out things to continue alliance with the Congress.
The poll strategists have, however, warned both parties against having a pre-poll alliance which according to them prove detrimental to their interests and therefore the electoral prospects. Policy makers in both parties are of the opinion that Congress and PDP should face the elections independently with a tacit understanding to pool their strengths after the election results are announced.
The main turf for the Congress is the Jammu region having 37 seats and the PDP has its main focus in Kashmir Valley which has 46 assembly segments. Congress and PDP have issues and policies which are inherently contradicting with each other. Contesting elections together may mar prospects of both, feel the political observers.
PDP talks about controversial issues like joint control and dual currency which are being strongly opposed to in Jammu region. If both parties contest the elections together the general opposition to PDP proposals may even wash away the Congress prospects as well. Same is the case in Kashmir where Congress could never have a foothold. Therefore, sources said, both parties are likely to contest elections at their own and then think of post-poll alliance after election results are out. |
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