Early Times Report
Jammu, June 24: Despite surrendering all three Lok Sabha seats to the National Conference in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections, the Congress has started preparations for at least 15 Assembly seats in Kashmir Valley.
Highly placed sources said that Congress has prepared a list of potential candidates in 15 Assembly segments of Kashmir Valley where the party would field its candidates in the coming polls.
“Out of the total 47 seats of Kashmir Valley, Congress will stake a claim on a minimum 15 seats where the party has a stronghold”, sources said and added that a clear picture would emerge only after discussions with the alliance partner National Conference.
Sources said that Congress has a strong presence in south Kashmir and some parts of north Kashmir so the party would not field candidates on these seats.
In the 2014 Assembly elections, Congress had won Despite surrendering all three LS seats to the NC in the just concluded elections, the Cong has started preparations Assembly polls in Kashmir.
Congress has prepared a list of potential candidates in 15 Assembly segments of Kashmir where the party would field its candidates in the coming polls.
Of total 47 seats in Kashmir , Congress will stake a claim on a minimum 15 seats where the party has a stronghold
Sources said that in exchange for some seats in Kashmir Valley, Congress leadership would leave some assembly segments from Jammu province, especially in the twin border districts of Poonch-Rajouri and in the erstwhile Doda district.
Sources said that the party has identified over half a dozen seats in Jammu province which would be leaving for alliance partner National
Conference.
Notable, in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections the Congress had left all three Lok Sabha seats of Kashmir Valley for the coalition partner National Conference.
In the Parliament elections, Congress left 54 Assembly seats for the coalition partner National Conference. Apart from 47 Assembly seats of Kashmir Valley, the Congress also left seven Assembly segments of the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri. | 