Nasir Azam
Srinagar, May 3: Jammu & Kashmir may not be enthused about a by-poll for Lok Sabha seat in Punjab, but a regional political party from the erstwhile state will hit the campaign trail in the neighbouring state in support of Congress.
In a surprising political development, National Conference has asked its senior leader and former legislator Javed Rana to campaign for Congress in the seat. “I have been asked by the party leadership to go to Punjab and campaign for Congress,” Rana, who is a tribal leader.
Rana, who represented Mendhar Assembly segment in the J&K legislative Assembly, said that he is leaving for Punjab Thursday.
The Congress’s decision to rope in NC for campaign seems to be part of its strategy to woo miniscule Muslim vote bank in the segment. Top leaders of AAP, Congress and Akali Dal thronged Masjids of Jalandhar on Eid-ul-Fitr.
Interestingly, the NC is campaigning for the Congress at a time when there is no formal alliance between the two parties and despite its good relations with Akali Dal.
Last week, former CM and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah attended the last rites of Akali stalwart Prakash Singh Badal at his native village in Punjab.
