Congress wants early elections in Jammu and Kashmir

Congress general secretary in-charge of J&K Ambika Soni said the party wants early elections in state and the roadmap of the polls will be discussed in Srinagar on Tuesday.

Prominent leaders of the Congress and 12 J&K legislators will be meeting in Srinagar on Tuesday to devise the party's strategy after the state came under governor’s rule last month.

Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ambika Soni during a press conference at AICC Headquarters in New Delhi on June 20. (PTI File photo)

The meeting of the Congress will be headed by former J&K chief minister and leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Congress leaders said that though the meeting is scheduled to be held at the Congress party office at Maulana Azad Road, there is a possibility that the venue of the meeting could be shifted.

The party has called all the 12 legislators to Srinagar.

“Yes, it is going to be an important meeting headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad. This meeting will be important to devise the strategy of the party especially after the governor’s rule,’’ said legislator and vice president J&K Congress Ghulam Nabi Monga. “Besides, Congress legislators from all three regions of the state, some senior leaders will also attend this meeting,’’ he said.

Chaired by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the meeting was attended by former Union ministers P Chidamba- ram and Ghulam Nabi Azad, st- ate Congress chief Ghulam Ah- med Mir and former Lok Sabha member Tariq Hameed Karra.

After the meeting, the Congress ruled out the possibility of supporting the PDP for forming an alternate government in the state and insisted that it wanted early elections.

Congress general secretary in-charge of J&K Ambika Soni told reporters that the party will prepare for fresh elections on the basis of its programmes.

“We want early elections in state. The roadmap of the election will be discussed in Srinagar on Tuesday. We need to strengthen our party first,” she said.