J&K Polls: Trouble In Congress-NC Alliance? Talks Hit Roadblock Over 'Some Seats'

J&K Polls: Troubles surfaced between Congress and National Conference, a day after the two parties announced pre-poll alliance.

The Congress high command have rushed its two senior party leaders to Jammu and Kashmir to iron out seat seat sharing dispute with National Conference ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls. 

Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Salman Khurshid will meet NC president Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah in Srinagar after Omar said that both the parties were "stuck on some seats."  

The last date of filing nomination for the first phase of polling is tomorrow, Tuesday. 

On Thursday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met the Abdullahs and the two sides agreed for a pre-poll alliance. But a day after difference over seat sharing emrged as Omar Abdullah said that they were stuck on some seats. 

“To a large extent, consensus has been achieved on 90 seats of J&K. However, on some seats, the local leaders of the Congress are adamant. We are also insisting on some. We will sit down and bring these seats too within the ambit of alliance,” Omar said, reported The Hindu.

The grand old party has now sent two of its senior party leaders to put an end to the impasse so that both the parties could focus on contesting the polls. 

The 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly has 47 seats in the Kashmir Valley and 43 in the Jammu division. 

According to an NDTV report, quoting sources, the National Conference is offering five seats to Congress from Kashmir Valley and 28-30 in the Jammu region. The Congress is, however, demanding more seats including some of the NC strongholds. The NC has offered an option of the friendly contest to Congress on some seats claimed by both parties, but the local Congress leadership is reportedly not ready for it.