Srinagar, Oct 22 Even as the ruling National Conference (NC) decided to convene a meeting of its allies on Wednesday to discuss the strategy ahead of the Legislative Assembly session and the Rajya Sabha polls, the Congress legislature party leader, G.A. Mir, said the party would decide on participation later in the day.
Mir told IANS, “We have called our legislature party meeting at the Congress headquarters in Srinagar at 5 p.m. today. The issues will be discussed there, and if it is necessary to convey the discussion to the NC, then we will convey it.”
The NC has sent an invitation to Congress MLAs to attend the meeting despite the bitterness of relations between the two parties over seat-sharing in the Rajya Sabha polls.
After the NC failed to oblige the Congress party by giving it a ‘safe’ seat out of the four Rajya Sabha seats, Congress decided not to field its candidate for any constituency going to polls on October 24.
While the NC fielded Mohammad Ramzan Chowdhary, Sajad Kichloo and Shami Oberoi for the three safe seats, it finally fielded its 4th candidate also for the 4th seat.
The BJP, with 28 votes, has an edge over the NC and its allies in the 4th Rajya Sabha seat. On the fourth seat, it has 28 votes against the 24 of the NC and its allies.
BJP has fielded its J&K President Sat Sharma for the 4th Rajya Sabha seat.
CPI(M) MLA Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami and five Independent MLAs, who are supporting the government, have also been invited to the meeting.
In the 2024 Assembly elections, the NC won 42, BJP 29, Congress 6, PDP 3, CPI(M) 1, Awami Ittehad Party 1, Peoples Conference 1 and Aam Aadmi Party 1 seat, while 6 Independents won those elections.
Congress, CPI(M) and five Independents later decided to support the Omar Abdullah-led NC government.
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