E-Paper
Four independents extend support to NC, takes party’s tally to 46
NC’s meeting was attended by the four independents — Satish Sharma from Chammb, Rameshwar Singh from Bani and two NC rebels Pyare Lal Sharma from Inderwal and Choudhary Akram from Surankote
Four of the seven independent candidates who secured wins in the assembly elections have extended their support to the National Conference (NC), helping the party to cross the halfway mark in the 90-member House.
The NC held a legislature party meeting in the afternoon where NC vice-president Omar Abdullah was chosen as the chairperson unanimously. It was attended by the four independents — Satish Sharma from Chammb, Rameshwar Singh from Bani and two NC rebels Pyare Lal Sharma from Inderwal and Choudhary Akram from Surankote.
“The four Jammu independents were present during the meeting and have extended their support.,” NC leader Ahsan Pardesi, who won the Lal Chowk seat, said.
The election results on Tuesday gave a huge lead to the NC with 42 seats and six to its alliance partner, the Congress and also one to CPI(M), in the 90-member assembly. The BJP emerged dominant in the Jammu region with 29 seats.
Pardesi said the fifth independent candidate from Jammu, Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, a former judge, from Thanamandi, was also expected to offer support in the coming days, adding, “We are in contact with him as well but he could not come today.”
A day after the NC-Congress alliance won a majority in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, Omar Abdullah had on Wednesday said the new government will be inclusive and for all irrespective of the fact who voted for the alliance or who did not.
“I am also acutely aware of the fact that there is a sharp divide between Kashmir and Jammu. Therefore, the incoming government will have a major responsibility of giving a sense of ownership to the people of Jammu. The government that comes in the next few days will not be the government of NC, of alliance or those that vote for us. It will be a government of every single individual of J&K regardless of who they voted for or whether they voted at all,” he had said.
