Omar concedes too little to Cong
Sahil Rasgotra. Updated: 3/18/2019 11:35:17 AM
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‘No compromise in Kashmir, may negotiate on other 3 seats’
JAMMU: Setting the seat sharing formula proposed by National Conference as pre-condition for any pre-poll alliance with Congress, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Sunday made it clear that his party will not settle for anything less than all the three Lok Sabha constituencies in Kashmir Valley, thus quashing the possibility of NC conceding the prestigious Srinagar seat to the Congress.
The former chief minister, however, said that he has conveyed to the Congress his party's willingness to discuss the other three seats -- two in Jammu and one in Ladakh region -- of the state.
Interestingly, while Omar was speaking this at a public rally in Anantnag, his father and NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah was addressing a public meeting in Jammu, asking people to vote for party candidate B R Kundal in Jammu-Poonch parliamentary constituency, in line with the previously speculated reports of NC proposing only 2 seats out to 6 to Congress—Udhampur-Doda constituency and Ladakh constituency.
On Sunday, Omar said that his party was open to a pre-poll alliance with the Congress if the latter agreed to NC's seat sharing formula for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
"We have received an offer from the Congress, but we are very clear about taking forward any alliance plan only if our candidates are to contest all the Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a party function in Khanabal in Anantnag district.
There are six Lok Sabha seats in the state, three — Baramulla, Srinagar and Anantnag — in Kashmir, two — Jammu-Poonch and Udhampur-Doda — in Jammu, and one in Ladakh.
The two parties were having some difficult negotiations on the Srinagar seat. Congress wanted NC to concede that seat to them but NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah had already declared his candidature from Srinagar. Besides Abdullah, NC has shortlisted Mohammad Akbar Lone for Baramulla and new entrant Peer Mohammad Hussain-- who recently defected from PDP—for Anantnag constituency.
Among the remaining three seats, NC had already declared B R Kundal as its candidate on Jammu-Poonch constituency.
While it was willing to concede the other two seats to Congress, the latter is negotiating for at least one more seat.
Omar also indicated that on Sunday.
“I have conveyed to the Congress our willingness to discuss the other three seats -- two in Jammu and one in Ladakh region -- of the state.
"Let us see what response we get from them," he added.
Sources informed this scribe that Congress wants to field Asgar Ali Karbalai or Rigzin Spalbar from Ladakh, while from Udhampur-Doda constituency, it would field Vikramaditya Singh.
However, in case Omar was genuine in his words, it would result in NC conceding Jammu-Poonch seat to Congress.
Interestingly, NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah also addressed a public meeting in Jammu, asking people to vote for party candidate B R Kundal in Jammu-Poonch parliamentary constituency.
The parliamentary board of the National Conference is scheduled to meet here on Monday to discuss the probable candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Meanwhile, State congress president Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that the final decision on the seat sharing with NC would be made by the party President Rahul Gandhi soon, asserting that party has not zeroed in on any of their candidates so far.
Earlier, while talking to reporters, Omar also criticised the Central government for not holding the state Assembly elections simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.
"It amounts to denying the people of the state their democratic right to form an elected government," he said.
Commenting on the launch of a new political party by former IAS officer Shah Faesal, Omar said it remains to be seen whether the new party would have something new to offer to the people.
He said it was pointless to expect any forward movement towards the resolution of the Kashmir problem till the Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections were over.
Commenting on the ban and the subsequent crackdown on the cadres of the Jamaat-e-Islami in the state, Abdullah said that he never felt the need to ban the Jamaat when he was the Chief Minister of J&K.