Many leaders of the state Congress are upset with the National Conference giving four seats in Jammu division in the previous alliance for the assembly elections in Jammu Karveer and their anger has started coming to the fore. However, no one has formally approached the leadership. In the seat sharing, Jammu North, Vijaypur in Samba district and Nowshahra and Kalakot Sunderbani seats in Rajouri district have gone to National Conference. Due to this, many leaders including state Congress chief spokesperson Ravindra Sharma, Uday Chib, MK Bhardwaj are said to be upset as he is being asked to contest from other seats. This is the reason why the second list of the party is stuck. The party has so far released the list of candidates only for the first phase. Both parties will field their candidates in Nagrota assembly seat.
The assembly elections are being held on 90 seats in the state. In mutual agreement, Congress got 32 seats and NC got 51 seats. One seat was given to CPI(M) and one to Panthers. Friendly competition has been organised for five seats. It would be called a compulsion on the part of the alliance that the seat of Banihal came in a friendly contest on the account of former state head Vikar Rasool. National Conference is also contesting for this seat.
Mehbooba not to contest J-K polls
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said she will not contest the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, pointing out that she would not be able to fulfil her party's agenda in the union territory set up even if she were to become the chief minister. The PDP president was asked if she has had a change of heart on contesting the polls after vice president of arch-rival National Conference Omar Abdullah made a U-turn on his stand of not participating in the polls till Jammu and Kashmir was a union territory. Mehbooba said the PDP is fighting for a bigger cause as it is the only party which implements its agenda after coming to power.
