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| Khan’s return spoils coalition party but MP says he didn’t join NC | | | I want to clarify that I have not joined any political party and continue to maintain my independent status. However, I extend my unconditional support to the UPA coalition," Ladakh MP Khan said
HAMAAD SALIF
Jammu, May 19: A day after the National Conference leadership created flutters in political, parliamentary and legal circles by announcing rejoining into the party of its ‘rebel’ leader from Ladakh, the newly elected Member of Parliament Ghulam Hussain Khan today clarified that he has not joined any political party.
Khan was introduced to the press by National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as they announced his return to the party at a press conference in Srinagar on Monday. An old NC guard, Khan contested as independent candidate the recent Lok Sabha election in Ladakh constituency against the coalition candidate P Namgyal.
The announcement of rejoining his National Conference raised many eyebrows as an independent candidate can’t join any political party immediately after winning elections. In this scenario, the most he can do is to join as an associate member. NC leadership’s announcement of Khan’s return to party not only raised questions in legal circles but also annoyed the Congress leadership which had already been smelling covert support of National Conference to its so called rebel against the Congress nominee in Ladakh.
The newly-elected MP however clarified that he has only "extended unconditional support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the behest of the NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah."
I want to clarify that I have not joined any political party and continue to maintain my independent status. However, I extend my unconditional support to the UPA coalition," Khan said in a statement here in Srinagar.
He had addressed a press conference at the residence of Abdullah here Monday, announcing his decision to rejoin the NC. According to sources, Khan's clarification follows the Congress' displeasure at Khan -who had defeated the party's candidate, P. Namgyal by over 3,000 votes - rejoining the NC.
It needs to mention here while addressing the media person Monday, Farooq Abdullah had made it clear that Khan's rejoining the NC had the prior approval of the Congress
The entry of Ghulam Hassan Khan, an independent candidate from Ladakh, back in to the National conference fold has emboldened the state congress leaders to demand their pound of flesh from the National conference leadership who failed to stick to the coalition dharma and failed litmus test.
A day after the NC chief Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah welcomed Ghulam Hassan Khan in to the party fold in Srinagar several state congress leaders petitioned party high command not to treat it the deliberate act by the NC lightly.
"We have informed the party high command that if NC would behave in this fashion to run the coalition government it would be difficult for us to trudge along in this fashion", a senior state congress leader said. The congress leaders who met here at party headquarters also took serious note of the NC's breach of trust and demanded that NC leaders should apologise for not able to ensure victory of alliance candidate and tacitly supporting the lone independent in the fray. The congress leaders said the NC can rectify its folly by inviting congressmen to occupy the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by Dr Farooq Abdullah.
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