Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 7: The National Conference Working Committee would meet here tomorrow to set the agenda for 2014 Parliamentary and Assembly elections and upcoming polls to Block Development Councils (BDCs), Municipalities and District Development and Planning Boards. It would also take into account the feelings of 54 members of the Working Committee on National Conference-Congress pre-poll alliance for Parliament and Assembly elections and review success of the truck between the two parties in just concluded polls for four seats of Legislative Council from Panchayat quota.
Ahead of the Working Committee meeting, which would be held at Sher-I-Kashmir Bhawan, the NC Headquarters, Omar appeared upbeat over yesterday’s results of four Legislative Council seats and exuded confidence for 2014 elections.
“You tell me’’, was the reply of the Chief Minister when a reporter sought his reaction on yesterday’s results of Legislative Council elections after inauguration by him of 61st All India Police Hockey Championship at KK Hakhu Stadium here.
He said the next elections (Parliament and Assembly) were due in 2014 and the party would start an exercise for them well in advance.
To another question on a report of human rights violations, Omar said the Ministry of Home Affairs would look into the report first.
Describing as “major jolt’’ to the players and the country, the suspension of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) by the International Olympic Council (IOC), Omar said the country’s pride and honour have been put at stake by the decision.
“I would like the Government of India, Sports Ministry and concerned authorities to get their act together to resolve the issue so that suspension of IOA by the IOC was revoked immediately in the interest of India, the sports loving people and, above all, the players.
“If the issue was not resolved, the Olympic flag will not by unfurled by the Indian sports persons. What can be worst scenario than this’’? he asked.
Worthwhile to mention here that the IOC had suspended IOA for political interference in the elections. The decision was being viewed countrywide as a major setback to Indian sports.
Meanwhile, 54 members of the National Conference Working Committee have reached here to attend the WC meeting at the party headquarters at 10.30 am tomorrow. Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who happened to be working president of the party, would attend the meeting.
All Working Committee members, permanent invitees and special invitees totaling 54 would attend the meeting, party sources said.
All NC Ministers in the coalition Government and Members of Parliament but not all legislators were members of the Working Committee.
Sources said the Working Committee would review just concluded elections to four seats of Legislative Council, which the National Conference and Congress won with a handsome margin. The NC would review the alliance with the Congress in the polls and opinion of the Working Committee members. Both NC and Congress had won two seats each.
The party would also discuss its strategy for Parliament elections, which were due in April 2014 and Assembly elections, scheduled to be held in November-December 2014. The NC-Congress alliance, which had faced opposition from some leaders of both the parties, would figure prominently in the Working Committee meeting, sources said.
The Working Committee would also discuss early holding of elections to Block Development Councils (BDC) and District Development and Planning Boards (DDPBs), which would complete three tiers of Panchayats besides Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) polls, which have been hanging fire for past quite sometime now.
Chief Minister had earlier issued the directions to Rural and Urban Development Departments for holding elections to BDCs and ULBs respectively before December 31 this year. The Election Department had announced elections to the BDCs but the process had to be cancelled mid way following reservations expressed by various political parties that the polls should be held only after incorporating the provisions for reservations to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women.
The ULB elections were delayed as the Election Commission announced polls for four seats of Legislative Council. The elections were now likely to be held in first part of next year.
Sources said various other issues faced by the State, mostly political, would come up in the Working Committee meeting. The members would like the Government to empower the Panchayats and provided security and honorarium to Panchayats as they had voted in favour of the coalition candidates.
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