Ahead of assembly session & RS polls, NC convenes meeting of legislators of ruling allies today

Srinagar : Ahead of the Assembly session and Rajya Sabha polls, the ruling National Conference has convened a meeting of its allies on Wednesday evening to discuss their strategy.

According to sources, the ruling party has also invited its ally, the Congress, to participate in the meeting, despite frosty relations between the two over the Rajya Sabha elections.

“We have been invited to meeting,” Congress Legislature Party leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir told news agency.

He said the Congress party is holding a meeting of its legislature party this evening.

“We will decide on participation in the joint meeting during our legislature party meeting,” he said.

The NC and Congress have been at odds after the former denied the latter a safe seat in the Rajya Sabha election. The National Conference offered a ‘riskier’ seat to its ally, which Congress refused to contest. The National Conference also offered the Nagrota Assembly seat to Congress, but it declined to contest that as well.

Lone, CPI (M) MLA Muhammad Yosouf Tarigami and five independents supporting the government have also been invited to attend the meeting.

The meeting is being held a day before the beginning of the autumn session of the Assembly and two days ahead of voting for the Rajya Sabha polls. In the Rajya Sabha polls, a close competition is expected for the fourth seat, with the BJP having the support of 28 MLAs and the coalition 24 MLAs.

The Peoples Democratic Party, which has three MLAs, has kept its cards close to its chest regarding Rajya Sabha polls and has not revealed its strategy—(KNO)