Congress, NC make last-ditch effort to save JK Assembly polls alliance

Srinagar: Senior Congress leaders arrived here on Monday to hold deliberations with the National Conference to iron out differences over seat-sharing for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls.

Congress leaders, including party's general secretary organisation, K C Venugopal, Salman Khurshid, and J-K in-charge Bharat Solanki, arrived at the residence of NC president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah in Gupkar area here, to hold talks over seat sharing, leaders in both the parties said.

They said the meeting was necessitated after "some differences" cropped up in seat-sharing arrangement during the talks between the local leadership of the parties.

The leaders said both the parties have agreed over the seat-sharing formula to a large extent.

"The central leaders of Congress will meet our leaderships to talk about alliance. Some clarification is needed on some issues, and this will be done today," NC provincial president, Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani told reporters outside the residence of the Abdullahs earlier.

He expressed hope that by the afternoon, "everything will be clear".

"Two parties have to contest the election together, there are many issues.We have to keep in mind the party cadre on the ground, we also have to consider the strength of the parties in specific seats," he added.

Wani, however, said the seat-sharing issues will not have any impact on the alliance.

"Had we known the elections will be conducted, we would have sorted these things beforehand," the NC leader said.

Polls to the 90-member J-K assembly will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1, while results will be announced on October 4.