SRI NAGAR: The meeting of the National Conference’s Core Group, the party’s highest decision-making body, on Monday ruled out the possibility of allying with the BJP but decided to write to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), offering support to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Various aspects of the current political situation were discussed in the core group meeting,” a spokesperson said after the meeting held at party working president and outgoing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s home on Gupkar Road here.
“The party leaders who attended the meeting were of the opinion that any alliance with the saffron party would hurt the party,” a party leader told Express.
The party leader said the Core Group meeting had reiterated the National Conference’s unconditional support to the PDP in forming the next government in the state, where the Governor’s rule was imposed on January 9 after none of the parties managed to cobble together a coalition government. He said it was unfortunate that the PDP had failed to form a government and forced the Governor’s rule on the people.
The PDP hasn’t responded to the National Conference’s offer of support and is holding backroom talks with the BJP. However, these talks haven’t made any headway yet. In the 87-member Assembly, elections for which were held in November-December, the PDP has 28 seats and the BJP has 25. The National Conference and the Congress got 15 and 12 seats respectively while smaller parties and independents won seven seats.
The meeting was chaired by Omar and attended by general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, Abdul Rahim Rather, Mohammad Shafi Uri, Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Mian Altaf Ahmed, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, Nasir Aslam Wani and Devender Singh Rana.