STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Two mainstream opposition parties Congress and National Conference may have arrived at an understanding to contest the by-polls on two Parliamentary seats of Srinagar and Anantnag but the ruling alliance has decided to field separate candidates instead of putting up a united fight.
From PDP, Mufti Tasaduq Hussain and Nazir Ahmad Khan would contest the by-polls from Anantnag and Srinagar Lok Sabha seats respectively. JKPCC Chief GA Mir and National Conference President and former Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah is testing his luck from Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.
The BJP is expected to announce their candidates soon after discussing the names of the probable candidates.
According to political pundits, the top brass of the PDP was reluctant to fight LoK Sabha bypolls in alliance with the BJP to avoid voters backlash.
Ever since PDP had formed an alliance with the BJP its popularity had noose dived among its core constituency across the Kashmir Valley.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, herself a seasoned campaigner, understands the pulse of the Kashmiri electorate and has decided not to enter in to any pre-poll alliance with the BJP or field joint candidates.
On the other hand BJP leaders are also playing safe on the issue of forging an alliance with the PDP for the by-polls.
In a press statement, BJP State General Secretary Ashok Kaul also said there will be no pre-poll alliance with the PDP in these two seats and that the saffron party will field its own candidates to fight the elections.
“The BJP will contest the by-elections in Srinagar and Anantnag Lok Sabha seats and the party will announce candidates very soon,” Kaul was quoted as saying in the statement.
BJP Kashmir spokesperson Altaf Thakur said the decision to go it alone was taken because of the demand of the party cadre. “Having a pre-poll alliance is not part of our Agenda of the Alliance, we have made no such commitment,” he said.
On the other hand, both the opposition parties Congress and National Conference are expected to expose the fragile bond between the ruling alliance during the poll campaign and would seek votes to teach them a befitting lesson as they had both betrayed the mandate given by the masses during 2014 Assembly polls.
