NC-Cong to contest 2 seats each in MLC poll

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 12: The National Conference-Congress Co-ordination Committee today decided to contest one seat each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions in the elections being held for four seats of Legislative Council from the quota of Panchayats on December 3.
The Co-ordination Committee formed 12 members Election Committee comprising six members each from National Conference and Congress to monitor prospectus of both coalition partners in the elections and ensure victory of all four candidates of the Alliance.
The Co-ordination Committee meeting was presided over by Pradesh Congress (I) Committee president Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz and attended by Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and Mangat Ram Sharma, former Deputy Chief Minister (both from Congress), Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar and Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, all from National Conference.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Co-ordination Committee, which met for more than an hour, discussed the elections to four seats of Legislative Council from Panchayat quota, which were being held after a gap of nearly four decades in the absence of Panchayat elections, which were held last year after 1974.
After threadbare discussions, both the parties unanimously decided to share two seats each for contest, one each in the two divisions.
Excelsior had exclusively reported that NC and Congress would contest one seat each in the two divisions.
About 33,540 Sarpanchs and Panchs comprised Electoral College for four seats of the MLCs from Panchayat quota.
With a view to capture all four seats in the elections, the National Conference-Congress Co-ordination Committee formed 12 members Election Committee, which would co-ordinate between the two parties and take all possible measures to ensure victory of the Alliance candidates.
The Election Committee included Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar, Industries and Commerce Minister Surjit Singh Slathia, Social Welfare Minister Sakina Ittoo, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, MLA, Ajay Sadhotra, MLC, both former Ministers and Ali Mohammad Dar, all from National Conference, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Public Enterprises Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma, Minister of State for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Aijaz Ahmad Khan, GA Mir, MLA and former Minister and Ravinder Sharma, MLC, all from Congress.
The Election Committee would hold regular meetings and remain in touch with each other during the election campaign to ensure that Alliance was in a position to capture all four seats of the MLCs.
Worthwhile to mention here that People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have already decided to contest all four seats of the MLCs for which nominations had opened on November 9 and would close on November 16. Scrutiny of documents would be held on November 17 while nominations can be withdrawn till November 19. The elections would be held on December 3 while counting would take place on December 6.
In an informal chat with reporters after the Co-ordination Committee meeting, Prof Soz said the meeting was held in co-ordial atmosphere and both the Alliance partners unanimously agreed to contest two seats each, one each in the two divisions. He expressed confidence that the coalition would win all four seats.
In response to a question on implementation of 73rd amendment of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir, he added that Jammu and Kashmir has its own Constitution, which can be amended to incorporate major clauses of 73rd amendment in the State. He said the amendments would be made shortly so that elections to the Block Development Councils (BDCs) are held at the earliest.
Replying to another question on the stand-off between National Conference and Congress over the House Committee to look into allegations of forest land encroachment by PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Mr Soz said the Congress didn’t interfere in the matters of the Legislative Council, which had to be decided by the Council Chairman.
Sources said the Co-ordination Committee meeting was officially confined to taking decision on sharing four seats of the Legislative Council from the Panchayat quota. It would meet again to discuss major provisions of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India, which would be incorporated in Panchayati Raj Act of Jammu and Kashmir before holding elections to 143 chairpersons of the Block Development Council.
The Congress committees headed by GA Mir and Ravinder Sharma were drafting major provisions of 73rd amendment that required to be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir. After the major provisions were identified, the Co-ordination Committee would meet again to debate them and included the provisions on which there was consensus in the State Panchayati Raj Act, sources said.
The CC has also discussed payment on monthly honorarium to Panchs and Sarpanchs across the State. “Congress party proposed that the Panchayat members should be paid an honorarium and it was agreed to by the National Conference members”, sources said.
According to sources, the issue of security and empowerment of Panchyat members was also discussed during the meeting.
Meanwhile, the state Congress has finalized a list of probable candidates for fielding in the upcoming election of two seats of Legislative Council – one each in Kashmir and Jammu.
“Congress has made a list of probable candidates and I’ll consult the high command in Delhi on November 14,” Prof Soz said.

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