Srinagar, Sep 4 (IANS) Defying the party, the Congress district president in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal on Wednesday filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate from the Ganderbal assembly constituency against National Conference (NC) vice-president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah.
Congress Ganderbal district president Sahil Farooq filed the nomination along with dozens of youth supporters and said that interests of Ganderbal district have always been sacrificed to accommodate outsiders.
“Candidates are airlifted to represent the people of Ganderbal but the youth of this constituency have now decided not to hand over their political fate to any outsider,” Sahil said.
The decision to stand against Omar Abdullah is against the pre-poll alliance between NC and Congress.
In the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference will contest on 52 seats and the Congress on 31 seats.
The two parties have left two seats – one each in Jammu division and the Valley – for the Panthers Party and the CPI(M).
The two alliance partners have not been able to reach an agreement on five seats of Nagrota, Doda, Bhaderwah and Banihal in Jammu division and Sopore in the Valley.
Both NC and Congress will field candidates on these seats in a ‘friendly contest’.
Sahil Farooq’s defiance may impact the mood of pre-poll alliance between the two parties.
If Sahil is the only such rebel then Congress can protect the alliance by initiating disciplinary action against him.
If more such cases emerge from NC or Congress cadre in the coming days, problems could increase for both parties.
–IANS
SHK/AKJ
