Denied 'safe seat' by NC, Cong opts out from contesting RS polls in J&K

Srinagar, Oct 12 (PTI) The president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, Tariq Hamid Karra, on Sunday said his party will not contest the October 24 Rajya Sabha elections to four seats in the Union territory in view of alliance partner National Conference refusing it a 'safe seat'.

Addressing mediapersons after a marathon meeting of party leaders here, Karra said it has been unanimously agreed that the Congress will not contest the Rajya Sabha polls.

The Congress central leadership sought one of the two Rajya Sabha seats that are going to polls separately but National Conference offered the party one of the two seats, which are going to polls under a common notification, Karra said.

"Keeping this in mind, all the participants (at the meeting) were of the opinion that seat four is not safe like seat one or two. It was unanimously decided that we will not put up our candidate for seat number four. We will leave it to our alliance partners to see what they think about that," Karra said.

"Since the safe seat was not offered to us, we don't want to contest on seat four," he added.

National Conference has already named its three candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls, indicating that it will use its strength in the Assembly to ensure all three emerge victorious.

While all three National Conference candidates are assured of victory even without the support of alliance partners, the fourth candidate of the ruling alliance will need every anti-BJP vote to ensure a clean sweep.

The three MLAs of the PDP, one each from People's Conference, Awami Ittehad Party and AAP will have to vote for the ruling party candidate to ensure victory on the fourth seat.

Karra said a marathon discussion took place about the working of the alliance, the Rajya Sabha polls and the by-elections to two Assembly seats -- Budgam and Nagrota.

"Some legislators had grievances with governance and administrative issues but today's meeting was about Rajya Sabha polls," he said.

The PCC chief said the bypolls in Jammu and Kashmir were also discussed during the meeting.

"Some points were put forward by the leaders. We will open our channels with the NC and talk to them. The inputs from our members will be sent to our central leadership for guidance," he added. PTI MIJ ARI