Umer Maqbool
Srinagar, Feb 2: The differences between ruling alliance partners, the National Conference (NC) and the Congress, came out in the open during a joint meeting of the alliance to chalk out a strategy to counter the opposition during the budget session, which began on Monday.
The meeting, called at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s Jammu residence, turned literally into a verbal duel between the alliance partners.
In a move aimed at sending out a message to its alliance partner that all is not well, the Congress decided to send only its chief whip Nizamuddin Bhat. Another five of its MLAs, including PCC president Tariq Hamid Karra and senior leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir, chose not to participate in the meeting.
Sources disclosed that Bhat told NC leaders during the meeting-attended by Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, all NC MLAs, and their non-Congress allies-that the party is not comfortable with the post-poll working arrangement.
He reportedly told NC leaders that they were not serious about the statehood demand.
Bhat also pointed out that there was no coordination between the allies in the Rajya Sabha polls as well as over Centre-related strategy of the government.
Bhat’s remarks angered NC leaders, who told him that they have to maintain better Centre-State relations to run the State.
“Politics and government are two different. We have to ensure that Centre-State relations are better for running the State (UT),” Bhat was reportedly told by the Chief Minister.
Omar told Bhat out that NC had conceded the lone Rajya Sabha seat to Congress in 2015.
According to sources, NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah reminded him that NC had offered all seats in the 2024 Assembly polls to Congress in Jammu but it failed to win any.
The relations between NC and Congress turned bitter last year after the former refused to offer the latter a “safe” seat in Rajya Sabha. The Congress refused to contest the unsafe seat offered to it by NC.
Repeated attempts to seek comments of Bhat turned futile as he didn’t respond to repeated calls from this reporter. (KNO)
