Srinagar, Oct 22 (IANS) J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that his National Conference (NC) is confident of winning all four Rajya Sabha seats and the strategy to this effect was discussed with party allies on Wednesday.

The NC had called a meeting of its allies, including the Congress, the CPI-M, and five independents in Srinagar on Wednesday.

While NC President and former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah also attended the meeting, the Congress MLAs did not join it.

Addressing media persons after the meeting, Abdullah said the convening of a meeting of its allies ahead of the Assembly session and the Rajya Sabha elections is a tradition that was followed on Wednesday.

“We discussed a strategy to ensure that the NC candidates win all four Rajya Sabha seats, elections for which are being held after more than ten years,” he said.

He thanked the lone CPI-M MLA, Yusuf Tarigami and five independent MLAs for attending the meeting. Asked about the non-participation by the Congress in the meeting, Abdullah said: “It doesn’t matter. They had their own meeting today. They have assured that they will not, in any way, do something that favours the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections.”

He said that the Congress has to consult its high command for every important issue and “when we offered them the Nagrota Assembly seat to field their candidate for the by-poll there, they waited till the high command left that seat for the NC”.

Asked whether the PDP would support the NC candidates in the Rajya Sabha polls, Abdullah said: “One of our candidates, Shami Oberoi, met (PDP President) Mehboobaji (Mufti) today. NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah also spoke to Mehboobaji on the phone, soliciting the PDP’s support.”

“She said she would take the right decision after consultation with her party leaders.”

Abdullah also criticised the BJP Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra, Medha Kulkarni, who protested and tried to ‘cleanse’ a Pune fort after a group of Muslim women offered ‘Namaz’ there.

“Since these people (BJP) are on a weak wicket in the Bihar elections, it is their habit to rake up communal issues to polarise the voters. All said and done, it is very unfortunate.”

–IANS

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