Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 8: As Kashmir centric parties under the name of Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) have decided to contest the District Developmental Councils (DDCs) elections, Congress high command has asked newly general secretary incharge J&K, Rajni Patil to visit Jammu to redevise strategy for the coming DDCs elections.
Patil is reaching Jammu on Monday morning to hold discussions with senior leaders of the party to start preparations for DDCs elections. “Congress was expecting that PAGD will boycott the DDCs elections so party was hoping to win maximum number of seats from the areas dominated by National Conference and PDP but now the situation is changed after PAGD’s announcement to contest the elections”, sources said and added that instead of entering into alliance with PAGD Congress will contest elections on its own.
Highly placed sources said that during her two-day visit to Jammu, Rajni Patil will hold meetings with all senior leaders. “As PAGD leadership is mounting pressure on the local Congress leaders, especially those belong to Kashmir Valley, to join their alliance to jointly fight BJP and Apni Party”, sources said, adding, “aim of Rajni Patil’s visit to Jammu to sound the local leadership against joining PAGD because being a national party Congress could not afford to join any front in which PDP is one of the constituent”.
Congress leadership is very much aware that PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s recently controversial statement on the national flag has not taken well by the people across the country. “It was all due to recent statement of Mehbooba Mufti the Congress leadership has decided to maintain a distance from PAGD”, sources said.
Recently Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir has announced that the decision to join PAGD will be taken only by the party high command.
As 33 percent of DDCs seats have been reserved for women, Rajni Patil will hold a meeting with Mahila Congress activists to finalize candidates for seats reserved for females. |
