J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Cong, PDP lock horns over seat-sharing
Jammu, March 18
The Congress and Peoples Democratic Party, partners in the ruling coalition, have locked horns on the issue of sharing the three Assembly seats of the Kashmir valley for which the byelection will be held on April 24.

Pak national arrested
Jammu, March 18
A Pakistani national has been arrested near a border outpost in Samba sector of Jammu division, official sources said here today.

Two Revenue Dept officials booked
Srinagar, March 18
Two officials of Jammu and Kashmir revenue department have been arrested for allegedly demanding bribe from a landowner for making mutations of his ancestral land and its demarcation.

Cong, PDP lock horns over seat-sharing
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 18
The Congress and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), partners in the ruling coalition, have locked horns on the issue of sharing the three Assembly seats of the Kashmir valley for which the byelection will be held on April 24.

However, there is no dispute on the Bhaderwah seat in Jammu division from where Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has announced his own candidature.

The PDP of Mufti Sayeed has claimed all three seats, Pattan, Rafiabad and Sangrama, in the valley.

Because of both parties being adamant on the seat-sharing issue, the matter might be resolved only with intervention of the Congress high command.

It is learnt that the local unit of the Congress is keen to contest the Pattan and Rafiabad seats and leave only the Sangrama seat for the PDP. A Congress leader, Mr Abdul Gani Vakil, said the party was on a strong wicket at Pattan and Rafiabad. He said the Sangrama seat could be left for the PDP as it had got vacated due to the assassination of Mr G.N. Lone, Education Minister, who belonged to that party.

Congress activists reject the claim of the PDP that the Pattan and Rafiabad seats should also be left for the latter as Mr Iftikhar Hussain Ansari and Mr Dillawar Mir, who represented these seats, respectively, on the National Conference (NC) ticket, had resigned their seats to join the PDP. They point out that the NC and not the PDP held the two seats earlier.

A section of the Congress wanted to have the party’s presence in the valley and not leave the bastion at the disposal of the PDP.

There were reports that the PDP was divided on the candidature for the Sangrama seat.

While one section was pleading that the party ticket should be given to the son of Mr Lone, the other section has not yet made up its mind on the issue.

The executive committee of the Panthers Party, which is also a coalition partner, has decided not to field any candidate against Mr Azad in Bhaderwah. However, the party would contest the three seats in the valley.

Pak national arrested

Two Revenue Dept officials booked