After threadbare discussions and disagreements, the National Conference and Congress may be heading towards a final seat sharing plan in Jammu Kashmir for the scheduled assembly polls.
Sources told The Kashmiriyat that there are certain disagreements between the Congress and the NC top brass over a few seats in the Kashmir valley, however, the seat sharing has been almost finalised for phase 1.
Vice President National Conference, Omar Abdullah speaking to the media at Damhal Kulgam acknowledged the differences between the leaders of both the parties in the seat sharing at a few places.
As per the sources, the Indian National Congress is likely to get four seats in the Kashmir valley and three in the Jammu region for the elections in phase one.
In Kashmir valley, Dooru, which is a strong belt of Indian National Congress candidate Ghulam Ahmed Mir is likely to be handed over to the Congress. Mir has a winning record on the seat, however, he was defeated by PDP candidate Abdul Rahim Rather, however, Rathar quit the PDP in aftermath of abrogation and joined the Apni Party. He has quit the Apni Party recently.
The Congress may also get the Scheduled caste reserve seat in Kokernag. Kokernag, like most parts, was also considered a fortress of the PDP and with Choudhary Haroon’s departure from the Azad-led DPAP and his likely re-entry to PDP, the party is seeing the seat in its kitty.
Shangas, and Devsar in the Kashmir Valley, sources said, will also go to the Indian National Congress while the Congress is also mulling to field it’s candidates from Inderwal, Banihal and Doda in the Jammu region, however, the presence of strong NC candidates including Khalid Soharwardy is a dispute between the parties.
National conference, which is in one of its strongest position in the recent years is likely to contest 17 out of the 24 seats which go to polls in the first phase.
Imran Dar of the National conference has been working on the ground for the party over the last few years, however, Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami is undoubtedly the strongest candidates for the seat and may also be a matter of discussion between the parties.
Though, National Conference has said nothing over the matter, the congress has declared Tarigami a part of the alliance.
As per sources, Congress is mulling to contest half a dozen seats in Kashmir and twenty four seats in Jammu.
Furthermore, Congress retains the option of sharing a few of its seats in Anantnag, Kulgam, Rajouri, and Poonch districts with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as part of a strategic give-and-take.
The finalization of the seat-sharing agreement for Phase-1 marks a significant step forward for the alliance, setting the stage for a highly anticipated electoral battle in the region. However, with the specifics of the remaining phases still under negotiation, the dynamics of this partnership may continue to evolve in the weeks leading up to the elections.
seat-sharing arrangement for Phase-1 of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Assembly elections. The breakthrough in talks comes after both parties sought to consolidate their strengths and present a united front against their political opponents.
Though there is no clarity yet, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) may receive a few seats from Congress in Anantnag, Kulgam, Rajouri, and Poonch districts as part of a strategic give-and-take arrangement.