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Srinagar, Oct 12 (IANS) As an important meeting of Congress leaders in Jammu and Kashmir chaired by state Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra continued in Srinagar on Sunday, top party sources said a consensus has been reached among the Congress leaders that the party should exit its alliance with the ruling National Conference (NC).
The Congress, which has six MLAs in the 90-member state assembly, is supporting the Omar Abdullah-led NC government from outside without joining it.
Cracks in the NC-Congress alliance appeared after the NC announced its three candidates for three Rajya Sabha seats and offered the fourth seat to the Congress, with the BJP having a clear lead over the alliance.
As per the distribution of votes for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat, the BJP has 28 votes against the NC-Congress alliance, which has only 24 votes.
The BJP on Sunday nominated its Jammu and Kashmir party president Sat Sharma for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat and unless there is cross voting by BJP members, Sharma is all set to win the seat.
NC had offered this seat to Congress, calling it a ‘risky’ seat and asked NC to provide a safe seat for Congress to contest the elections.
After NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar and advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani announced Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sajjad Ahmed Kitchlu and Shammi Oberoi for the three ‘safe’ seats and the NC refused to leave any of these three seats for the Congress, the J&K Congress president called a meeting of all its six MLAs and senior party members. Leaders will discuss future action.
Top Congress sources said almost all party leaders spoke during the meeting, which is still going on in Srinagar.
“During the meeting, a consensus was reached that the party should walk out of the alliance with the NC,” top Congress sources said here.
Karra is likely to talk to the media after the meeting with the NC is over.
Now it remains to be seen whether the decision to pull out of the alliance is announced by the Jammu and Kashmir Congress President or it is left to the party high command.
–IANS
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