Building Bridges: Azad Mufti Molaqat Congress working on new political alliance in JK ahead of polls? Srinagar, June 21: Senior Congress leader GhulamNabi Azad Saturday called on Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed at his Gupkar residence here to explore the possibility of a pre-poll alliance ahead of Assembly elections in J&K slated later this year. Sources that Azad, who is a former Chief Minister of JK and party’s crisis manager, arrived at Mufti’s official residence early this morning. This was the first one- one-one meeting between Azad and Mufti after they parted ways in 2008 in the wake of the Amarnath land row which led to premature end to the Congress- PDP coalition. “Mufti had prior information about Azad coming to his residence,” sources said. “Both the leaders had wide-ranging discussions on the prevailing political scenario in J&K and the focus then shifted to the upcoming Assembly polls,” they said. The Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in JK in November- December this year. Sources said during the meeting which lasted for more than two hours, Azad “indirectly” expressed his party’s willingness to join hands with PDP in a pre-poll alliance for the upcoming assembly elections. However, Mufti was “very clear” in his response. “In the present situation we are not mulling any pre-poll alliance with any party,” sources quoted Mufti responding to Azad’s offer. However, Mufti, according to sources, also added that his party would assess the situation once the Assembly polls are over and take a decision accordingly. The almost six-year long relation between the Congress and the National Conference in the State was at the lowest following the debacle of both the parties in the Parliament polls. They have, on numerous occasions blamed each other for the loss of all six seats to opposition PDP and BJP. On June 16 the National Conference highest decision- making body - Working Committee - ruled out any pre-poll alliance with the Congress. On the very next day Greater Kashmir reported that Congress, which suffered the worst loss at the centre, was ready to forge pre-poll alliance with PDP in JK. Sources said Congress was “trying hard and exploring all options” to ensure its return by “whatsoever means” in State Government. “At larger level the party’s survival is now dependent on its success in the states. In J&K the worry for the party is that if it fails to forge an alliance with a stronger party having maximum chances to win the elections, it can send a bad signal to Congress voters in Jammu and they might shift their loyalties,” sources said.
Posted on: Sun, 22 Jun 2014 05:37:18 +0000
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