With polling for four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir to be held next month, National Congress (NC) leaders say that party will try to give proper representation to all regions.
The party, however, is likely to field its party president Farooq Abdullah on one of the four seats and its not clear whether the party would leave one Rajya Saba seat to its ally Congress, which has six members in the assembly and is third largest party after NC and the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 90 member house.
If all goes according to plan, NC and its allies could win three seats comfortably as they, along with allies.
BJP could also field couple of senior leaders in the polls which will be held on October 24. Congress which is coalition partner of NC has also dropped hints that party should get one Rajya Sabha seat.
“NC and Congress had an alliance in the assembly polls and also both parties are part of the INDI Alliance. So its obvious that on one of the four seats, Congress will be asked to field its candidate,” said a senior Congress leader. He, however said that since the Election Commission of India announced dates on Wednesday so its premature to say what will be the strategy of the ruling NC and the Congress. “This will get clear within a weeks time.”
The NC leaders said that one of the party candidates could be NC president Farooq Abdullah. “The party hasn’t decided on names yet. Now party leadership will sit and decide the suitable candidates for Rajya Sabha. Since Farooq Abdullah is senior most political leader of J&K, he could be natural choice of the party. The other three candidates will also be strong leaders as we need suitable voices in New Delhi,” said a senior NC leader.
{{/usCountry}}The NC leaders said that one of the party candidates could be NC president Farooq Abdullah. “The party hasn’t decided on names yet. Now party leadership will sit and decide the suitable candidates for Rajya Sabha. Since Farooq Abdullah is senior most political leader of J&K, he could be natural choice of the party. The other three candidates will also be strong leaders as we need suitable voices in New Delhi,” said a senior NC leader.
{{/usCountry}}J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah, however, said that National Conference hasn’t yet decided candidates for the upcoming elections but the party will soon take a call, including how many seats NC and its allies will contest. Fielding media queries at Mahore in Reasi, Omar said, “Though party will decide on mandate but it has not deliberated upon the issue as yet. There are four seats. We will decide how many seats we will fight and how many seats we will leave for others to fight.”
In the last Lok Sabha polls, of the five Parliament seats of J&K, NC won two seats, while BJP also bagged two seats and Baramulla Lok Sabha seat was won by Independent candidate Engineer Rashid, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail.
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