Will back INDIA bloc candidate in Anantnag: JKPCC

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, February 29

Even though no consensus has been reached on sharing of seats between National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Congress in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress has said that it would support the candidate fielded by the INDIA alliance in Anantnag.

Sources hinted that talks between the Congress and NC were still on after initial hiccups when NC chief Farooq Abdullah said his party would contest Lok Sabha polls on its own.

Senior Congress leaders addressed party workers from Rajouri and Poonch of Jammu region, parts of which are now included in the Anantnag constituency of Kashmir, on Thursday. J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) senior vice-president Ravinder Sharma, senior leader Jahangir Mir and former minister Shabir Ahmed attended the the meeting.

Notably, all the present MPs from three seats in Kashmir — Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag — belong to the National Conference.

Sources within the Congress have hinted that the NC is likely to be given Kashmir constituencies in the seat-sharing arrangement. The Congress is likely to contest from Udhampur and Jammu. However, the PDP’s position in the alliance remains unclear as some unconfirmed reports suggest the party might go solo, if not given a seat.

Sources in the PDP say the party wants to contest from the Anantnag constituency, leaving the other two seats from the valley for the National Conference. No final decision has been reached and the party leadership is adopting a wait and watch policy, they add.