J&K: Congress defers meeting with ally NC

Srinagar, Oct 22 (PTI) The Congress Legislature Party in Jammu and Kashmir did not attend a meeting with ally National Conference (NC) on Wednesday, saying it has written to the party high-command about certain suggestions and sentiments of its MLAs.

"We discussed the invitation extended by National Conference president Farooq Abdullah to our MLAs for a meeting. We are sending in writing the suggestions, sentiments and wishes of the members to the party high-command," Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Tariq Hamid Karra told reporters after a Congress Legislature Party meeting here.

He said in view of the sensitivity of important matters, the meeting with the NC has been deferred till Thursday.

"We have decided to defer the meeting till Thursday in order to have more discussions and deliberations on sensitive and important matters," Karra said.

The relations between the NC and Congress have apparently come under strain after the regional party refused to give a safe seat to the national party for the Rajya Sabha elections.

The NC had offered the fourth seat to Congress, where it would have faced a stiff contest from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Congress refused to field a candidate and also did not take up the NC's offer of contesting the Nagrota Assembly bypoll next month.

The NC has fielded its candidates for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat as well as the Nagrota bypoll. PTI MIJ RC