Jammu/March,20 : National Conference and Congress on Wednesday announced seat sharing arrangement for the three Lok Sabha constituencies one in Kashmir and two in Jammu with Congress giving up claim over Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency to offer a cake walk to National Conference President Farooq and NC in lieu of no contests for Srinagar seat giving up claim on two Lok Sabha seats in Jammu region .
The arrangement was worked out after a four-member Congress team led by Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azadi visited the residence of National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah at Bhatandi here.Senior National Conference leaders were present in the meeting. Announcing the arrangement at a press conference here this afternoon immediately after the meeting, Dr Farooq Abdullah said that National Conference will contest all the three seats of the Valley, Baramulla, Srinagar, Anantnag and Ladakh. However, the party will not field its candidates in Jammu and Udhampur seats to ensure that the secular votes are not divided.
Ghulam Nabi Azad declared that keeping in view the stature of Dr Farooq Abdullah in the national and the State politics, the Congress will not field its candidate against him from Srinagar Lok Sabha Constituency. He lauded the crucial role being played by Dr Abdullah in the national politics in strengthening secular forces and isolating the divisive parties, which pose grave threat to the unity of the country. He said the nation has been hugely heeding to the advice of the towering National Conference leader which was greatly witnessed during the Opposition conclaves in various parts of the country including Kolkatta. While stressing the need for strengthening inclusive ethos of the nation, Dr Farooq Abdullah advised the Congress to stich alliance with the like-minded parties elsewhere in the country in order to meeting the challenge posed by divisive and communal forces. He said the nation is passing through a difficult phase and there was urgent need to unite and foil the machinations of the inimical forces.
While the Congress team comprised senior leader Mrs Ambika Soni, Pradesh Congress President Mr Ghulam Ahmed Mir and former minister Mr Nawang Rigzin Jora, the National Conference was represented in the meeting by senior leader Mr Mohammed Shaffi Uri besides Provincial Presidents Mr Devender Singh Rana and Mr Nasir Aslam Wani.
