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Srinagar, Oct 22 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said his National Conference (NC) is confident of winning all four Rajya Sabha seats and the strategy to this effect was discussed with party colleagues on Wednesday.
The NC had called a meeting of its allies, including Congress, CPI-M and five independent MLAs, in Srinagar on Wednesday.
NC President and former Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah also attended the meeting, but Congress MLAs did not attend it.
Addressing media persons after the meeting, Abdullah said that calling a meeting of his colleagues before the Assembly session and Rajya Sabha elections is a tradition which was followed on Wednesday.
“We discussed the strategy to ensure that NC candidates win all the four Rajya Sabha seats for which elections are being held after more than ten years,” he said.
He thanked lone CPI-M MLA Yusuf Tarigami and five independent MLAs for attending the meeting. Asked about Congress’ non-participation in the meeting, Abdullah said, “It doesn’t matter. They had their own meeting today. They have assured that in no way will they do anything that will favor the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections.”
He said the Congress has to consult its high command for every important issue and “when we offered him the Nagrota assembly seat to field his candidate for the by-election, he waited till the high command left that seat for the NC”.
Asked whether the PDP would support NC candidates in the Rajya Sabha elections, Abdullah said, “One of our candidates, Shami Oberoi, met (PDP president) Mehboobaji (Mufti) today. NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah also spoke to Mehboobaji over phone and sought support from the PDP.”
“She said she would take the right decision after consulting her party leaders.”
Abdullah also criticized BJP Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra Medha Kulkarni, who protested after a group of Muslim women offered ‘Namaz’ at a fort in Pune and tried to ‘cleanse’ it.
“Since these people (BJP) are in a weak position in Bihar elections, it is their habit to raise communal issues to polarize the voters. Whatever has been said and done, it is very unfortunate.”
–IANS
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