Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Mar 7: Top leadership of Congress party today formally put their seal of approval on electoral alliance with National Conference (NC) for the forthcoming Parliamentary elections in the State.
Highly placed sources told EXCELSIOR that the decision was taken in the Core-Committee meeting of All India Congress Committee (AICC), which was held at Prime Minister’s residence. As reported exclusively by EXCELSIOR today, the alliance partners – Congress and NC agreed to contest three seats each from Jammu and Kashmir regions respectively.
“Besides Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, the Core- Committee meeting was attended by AICC President, Sonia Gandhi; Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, Defence Minister A K Antony, Ahmad Patel, Congress Secretary J&K in charge, Ambika Soni; Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad and JKPCC(I) chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz”, sources said.
Sources further elaborated, “the Core-Committee discussed in detail the political alliance with various allies of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the strategy to be adopted in different States for the Lok Sabha polls starting from April 10”.
Referring to the electoral alliance with National Conference, sources asserted that there was unanimity among the participants over the continuance of alliance with its existing partner. “However, review of the alliance would be done by the Congress party after the conclusion of Parliamentary polls. Final decision on the continuation of alliance with NC for the forthcoming Assembly polls in the State, would be taken after assessing the political scenario and taking feedback from Congress leaders across the State”, sources remarked.
“As per the seat sharing pact arrived between the coalition partners, each party would be contesting three seats. Succumbing to the demand of NC leadership, Congress has agreed to concede three seats of Kashmir Valley, which included Srinagar-Budgam, Baramulla-Kupwara and Anantnag-Pulwama”, sources said adding, “Congress would be fielding its candidates on Jammu-Poonch, Udhampur-Doda and Ladakh seats”.
Dwelling further, sources said, “though a section of Congress leadership was strongly in favour of contesting at least one seat (Baramulla) from Kashmir Region, the demand didn’t find favour among the members of the Core-Committee. The members felt that NC, which had already announced their candidates from Kashmir region, should be given an opportunity to contest from three seats.”
“The meeting also discussed the names of candidates that are to be fielded on two seats of Jammu region and one in Ladakh region. However, the final decision would be arrived at within few days as the Core-Committee had also to discuss the political strategy in the other States too”, sources asserted.
Sources said, “though the candidature of present MP from Jammu-Poonch seat, Madan Lal Sharma is certain, there is likely to be a new Congress candidate on Udhampur-Doda seat. For Ladakh constituency, the candidate is likely be a Buddhist from Leh”.
It is pertinent to mention here that National Conference has already announced three candidates – Farooq Abdullah for Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary constituency, Sharif-Din-Shariq for Baramulla-Kupwara segment and Mehboob Beg for Anantnag-Pulwama seat. All three are sitting Lok Sabha members from Kashmir.
The decision of the Congress party to surrender all three seats from Kashmir Valley had evoked strong reactions from the region. Senior Congress Ministers and leaders from Kashmir on condition of anonymity said, “Congress workers in Kashmir Valley will be disheartened by the decision and though the alliance had been formulated at the level of top leadership, it shall be difficult to implement it at the ground level”.
“What had compounded the situation further is the fact that Assembly polls are slated to take place shortly after Lok Sabha polls and priorities for the party will be different at that point of time”, leaders commented.
Presently, the party is being represented by Madan Lal Sharma (Jammu-Poonch) and Lal Singh (Udhampur-Doda). Both these Congress sitting MPs had won the seats consecutively for two terms in 2004 and 2009 elections.
Sources also pointed out, “for Ladakh region Congress party is weighing its option of opting a candidate from Leh or Kargil region. But, there was all likelihood of candidate being selected from Leh region, which has remained a bastion of Congress for the past many years”, adding, “names of two senior Congress leaders from Leh were doing the rounds”.
Observers pointed out that it will be for the third time that Congress party would be contesting Parliamentary polls in alliance with a regional party in the State. While in 2004, the Congress party contested with People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in 2009 it had contested along with its present alliance partner – National Conference. The same alliance would be jointly contesting the forthcoming Parliamentary polls, starting from April 10.
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