Srinagar:National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah Tuesday said that for contesting parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir, talks with INDIA bloc partner Congress are going on and a final arrangement will be decided in coming days.
"We held discussions with Congress leaders about seat-sharing. The suggestions of Congress were discussed within the National Conference, but their suggestions were not accepted by majority of party leaders. So, we will have second round of discussion with them in coming days," Omar said.
He reiterated that NC is holding discussions on seat sharing on two seats in Jammu and one in Ladakh. Omar didn't mention PDP in the seat sharing arrangement. Last week he had said that if Congress and PDP will discuss seat sharing arrangement between them, NC will not have any issues.
Sources said that Omar met INDIA alliance convenor Mukul Wasnik and other Congress leaders in Delhi few days ago and discussed the seat sharing arrangements with them. Sources said that while Congress has shown "flexibility for national interest" with NC on Baramulla and Kupwara seats but the "bone of contention" between the two parties is Anantnag-Rajouri seat.
Sources said Congress has agreed to contest on Jammu and Udhampur seats and also on Ladakh seat. "NC wants to contest on Anantnag-Rajouri seat as they base their argument on 2019 elections when they won the Anantnag seat. But after delimitation the Anantnag seat was merged with Rajouri and Poonch, so its electoral dynamics has changed," a senior Congress leader told ETV Bharat.
Sources said that Mehbooba Mufti is also talking with the Congress leaders in Delhi about contesting Anantnag-Rajouri seats with NC and Congress support.
Sources said that by this week the seat sharing arrangement will get a final stamp.
Meanwhile, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said there is a need to strengthen the alliance to safeguard the nation. "For strengthening national unity, INDIA alliance has to be strengthened for the interest of the country and Jammu and Kashmir," Farooq told reporters in Srinagar.
