KL Report
SRINAGAR
With the reports confirming the meeting between Ms Sonia Gandhi and the chief minister Omar Abdullah in New Delhi, almost the entire state leadership is against a pre-poll alliance with its coalition partner National Conference.
Sources in state Congress told KNS that the meeting between Omar and Ms Gandhi at New Delhi has united strong voices within the state Congress leadership opposing any move by the party that could make it to enter into any alliance with the National Conference ahead of assembly polls.
Prof Saifuddin Soz, president Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) said, that he is in New Delhi and the party senior leadership is discussing every issue related to the coming assembly elections threadbare. “I met Madam Sonia Gandhi and other top leaders of the party. The party is analyzing the minutest details regarding the forthcoming assembly elections. A final call on these issues will be taken by the party high command,” Soz said from Delhi over phone.
The Congress leadership here has stated that if at one side the pre-poll pact could help the Congress to counter BJP wave in Jammu region but at the same time the alliance could impede party’s performance in Kashmir valley.
The Congress leadership in Valley believes that it should go alone to contest the forthcoming assembly elections and have expressed serious reservations over any kind of pre-poll alliance with NC at various forums.
The senior Pradesh Congress leadership has expressed its dissatisfaction against the pre-poll pact with NC before the party high command citing episodes of cross voting during the recently held Lok Sabha polls. “We have an eye-opening example of cross voting that took place in the recent past. I would not be possible to repeat the mistakes of the past. It will damage the party more than it did during the parliament elections,” said a party insider.
Meanwhile, a senior Congress leader and a cabinet minister Taj Mohi-Ud-din who is also a member of the Congress high command constituted Antony Committee said that all the aspects of the issue of Pre-poll alliance are being taken into consideration and that the reservations expressed by the activists must be taken on board. “I have already put forth my views before the high command. It is in the domain of the high command leadership to take a final call on the issue.”
When asked whether the reports of cross voting in the past could be taken into account before making the decision final, Taj stated that there are several serious issues that demand thorough deliberations before entering into any pact. “This is the reason that the decision is taking some time.” Another senior Congress leader and minister Sham Lal Sharma said that the any decision with regard to pre poll alliance with NC will be taken by the Congress high command. Mohammad Sharief Niyaz, Congress leader and a close aid of Ghulam Nabi Azad said over phone that whatever decision about the pre-poll would be of the high command, the state Congress leadership will accept it and that the same is the policy matter of the central leadership.
