Knives out in J&K ruling alliance

Srinagar : President of the Pradesh Congress Committee, Tariq Hamid Karra, on Monday said that the National Conference’s (NC) ‘backtracking’ on its commitment to the Congress leadership regarding the Rajya Sabha polls suggests it may be reconsidering its relationship with the INDIA bloc.

Speaking to reporters, as per the news agency Karra said the NC leadership had assured Congress of allocating a safe seat. “We were given an understanding that we would be allocated a safe seat-the first or second. When NC remained adamant about offering us the fourth seat, which was considered unsafe, we convened a core committee meeting. It was unanimously decided that we should not contest an election we are likely to lose. The committee also expressed resentment over the backtracking of commitments made at the level of Sonia Ji and Kharge Ji,” he said.

He added that the NC leadership conveyed that anything beyond fourth seat was non-negotiable.

“When Mir Sahab and I sent a joint letter to Omar Sahab, he directed us to speak with Farooq Sahib. Farooq Sahib’s response was self-explanatory-he told us they were only willing to discuss the fourth seat,” Karra said.

When asked whether NC had betrayed Congress, Karra responded, “I wouldn’t use the word betrayal. But our trust has been broken.”

He further said that NC’s actions indicate it may be reconsidering its relationship with the INDIA bloc.

“It is not that the understanding with NC in J&K has been unfulfilled. But it also suggests that NC may be evaluating whether to remain in the INDIA bloc,” he said.

On Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma’s remark that Congress is a puppet of NC in Jammu & Kashmir, Karra declined to comment.

“I would not react to irresponsible statements made by BJP,” he said—(KNO)