Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 23: Even as the National Conference president and former Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah confirmed a pre-poll alliance with the Congress, both parties are yet to evolve consensus on over a dozen assembly segments.
The National Conference and local leadership of the Congress have staked their claims on these Assembly segments where both parties are strong.
Highly placed sources said that Congress is not ready to give any Assembly seat to the National Conference from Jammu district but the latter has been demanding as many as three seats.
The same is the story in the Doda and Kishtwar districts where the Congress is ready to give one seat to the National Conference but the latter has staked a claim on three segments including the Doda seat.
Interestingly the Congress is also demanding the Nowshera assembly segment but the NC leadership is not ready to leave that.
In the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, the Congress is demanding a majority of the seats but the NC is adamant on the formula of fifty-fifty.
Meanwhile, vice-presi NC and Congress are yet to evolve consensus on over a dozen assembly segments.
NC and local leadership of the Congress have staked their claims on these Assembly segments where both parties are strong.
The Congress is not ready to give any Assembly seat to NC from Jammu district but the latter has been demanding as many as three seats.
Omar Abdullah admitted that discussions are going on some Assembly seats.
“During our meetings, discussions were held on all the 90 assembly constituencies. Out of these 90 assembly constituencies, a consensus has been evolved on the majority of the seats but still, there is stalemate on some segments”, Omar admitted.
“On some assembly constituencies, we are adamant and on some seats, local Congress leadership is staking claim. Today we will sit together again and try to evolve consensus on remaining seats. We are hopeful that we will jointly contest the assembly elections”, Omar said.
He announced on Friday that the seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress has been finalized for a majority of assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir. Discussions are ongoing to reach a consensus over the remaining constituencies.
Sources said that local Congress leadership is not ready to leave more than six seats for the National Conference in Jammu province while the latter has been demanding over a dozen Assembly segments. | 