Alliance to put up joint front against Opposition

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 25: In a bid to put up a joint front against the Opposition on a host of issues including 2001 Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru’s secret hanging on February 9, the National Conference-Congress Alliance along with its other allies and Independent candidates would be chalking out a collective strategy at their joint Legislature Parties meeting at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence on February 28, a day when budget session of the Legislature opens.
The Opposition PDP is holding its Legislature Party meet on February 27, a day ahead of the session at the residence of former Chief Minister and party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Other Opposition parties would also hold their Legislature Party meetings on February 27.
Official sources told the Excelsior that National Conference and Congress Legislature Parties would first meet separately on February 28 followed by a joint meeting of the Alliance partners with their allies and Independent candidates supporting them at dinner meeting at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence.
Omar also happened to be working president of the National Conference. Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah could also attend the meeting but his participation has not been confirmed so far as general budget of the Central Government was also scheduled to be presented in the Parliament on February 28.
“The Alliance meeting would be attended by NC and Congress legislators besides lone Minister of DPN (Ghulam Hassan Mir). While Independent MLAs Charanjit Singh Jasrotia (Kathua) and Tsetan Namgyal (Nobra) were almost certain to attend the Coalition meeting, the Alliance leaders were also trying to rope-in CPM MLA Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, PDF legislator and former Minister Hakim Mohammad Yasin and Independent Engineer Rashid’’, sources said.
The Alliance wanted to put up a joint front against the PDP on host of issues. However, sources admitted, that it could find the going tough against the PDP’s offensive on Guru as the ruling National Conference also had similar views on the hanging of Parliament attack convict especially on return of his body to the family in Sopore.
Worthwhile to mention here that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had recently met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde apprising them of public sentiments on return of Guru’s body.
Sources said the Alliance would formulate its strategy on return of Guru’s body, a demand the PDP and Engineer Rashid (Independent) would vociferously raise, in such a way that the Congress interests were not hit as it was the Union Home Ministry headed by Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde, which had given nod for the hanging and refused to handover the body to the family of Guru after President Pranab Mukherjee had rejected his mercy petition.
The Alliance would also finalise its strategy in the context of PDP moving an adjournment motion to discuss the situation arising out of secret hanging of Guru and demand to press for passing an Assembly resolution seeking return of his body.
Sources said the Alliance was expecting smooth sailing on February 28 barring brief protests by the Opposition during Governor’s Address to joint session of Legislature followed by obituary reference in both House and election of new Speaker in the Assembly. It was anticipating trouble on March 1.
On the other, the PDP has also called its Legislature Party meeting on February 27, a day ahead of the session, at official residence of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The PDP would discuss its strategy for Governor’s Address and rest of the session including the mode in which it would raise the issue of Afzal Guru and other points in the Assembly.
PDP Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti and former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig would also attend the meeting.
The BJP and NPP Legislature Parties would also meet separately on February 27 to chalk out the strategy for the Assembly session.

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