Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): The Congress Party has issued show cause notices to its leaders who revolted against its decision to contest the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with the National Conference (NC).
The alliance was stitched together by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi with NC President Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah. Later, a seat-sharing arrangement was also finalised by the senior party leaders.
However, the alliance didn't go down well with some party leaders and activists who wanted to contest the elections on the party ticket, forcing them to revolt and contest the elections as independents.
At least a dozen leaders of the Congress are contesting as independents against NC-Congress alliance candidates in the Kashmir valley.
In Srinagar, five Congress leaders, including District President Imtiyaz Khan, General Secretary Waseem Shalla, former SMC corporator Asif Beigh, DDC Khomoh (in Srinagar outskirts) Manzoor Ahmad, and Congress member Irfan Shah, are contesting the polls as independents.
In Bandipora district, Congress former member Ismail Khan Ashana is vying as an independent candidate against a Congress candidate. Similarly, in Anantnag West, Asif Ahmad, a youth leader of the party, is contesting against former J&K Congress President Peerzada Sayeed.
"JKPCC has taken strong notice of breach of alliance unity by various party leaders, who have filed their nomination papers from different assembly segments as independent candidates against the alliance spirit," the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee said in a statement.
The party has asked the rebel leaders to reply within three days, failing which strict disciplinary action would be initiated against them.
A few NC leaders too have rebelled against the regional party by contesting as independents against Congress candidates who are fielded as alliance candidates. Former NC legislator Irfan Shah is contesting as an independent against alliance candidate and JKPCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra from the Central Shalteng seat. Dr Ghulam Nabi Bhat is contesting from the Tral assembly constituency against alliance candidate Surinder Singh Channi.
A female NC leader from Bandipora, Dr Bilquees Mir, is contesting against alliance candidate Nizam-U-Din Bhat, who joined the party a few days ago after resigning from the Peoples Conference. Bhat was with the PDP since 2008 but resigned from the party after the abrogation of Article 370. However, the NC has not yet issued any show-cause notice to these leaders.
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