Jammu, Feb 14: Lobbying for the eight seats of Legislative Council (LC) going to polls on March 7 has reached its peak with over a dozen aspirants from Congress camping in New Delhi to seek favors from the party top leaders, while the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have almost zeroed in on their probables.
Sources within the Congress circles in Jammu and Kashmir told Greater Kashmir that over a dozen aspirants from the party were camping in New Delhi for the last over one week in order to present their claim before the party high command. Out of the six coalition seats going to polls, Congress has major share of four vacancies.
“Several leaders form state Congress, including some of the recently elected office bearers of Youth Congress were trying to seek candidature”, a Congress leader told Greater Kashmir, over phone from New Delhi. He added that the party top brass, however, has decided to hold a meeting at New Delhi on Saturday so as to finalize the candidates.
It was learnt that the party was contemplating to give representation to Sikh community from one of the seats of Jammu province while Muzaffar Parray was emerging as front runner on one of the seats from Kashmir. For the reserved seat of Doda the party has reportedly empowered union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to take a final call.
Sitting party MLCs RS Chib and Muhammad Amin Bhat were reportedly making every effort to stage comeback, they said.
MLCs whose term is expiring on March 16, include Devender Singh Rana and MY Taing of NC, RS Chib, Muhammad Amin Bhat, Naresh Gupta and Ali Muhammad Bhat of Congress and Murtaza Khan and Nizam-Din-Khatana of PDP.
If sources are to be believed re-election of Rana on NC’s mandate from Jammu seat was sure and party was also considering its spokesperson Taveer Sadiq for Valley seat. “Final decision would be taken in next few days but Rana and Sadiq continue to be the frontrunners”, sources said adding that some of the party old hawks from South Kashmir were, however, also in race.
PDP, sources said, the party has made up its mind and the final decision was expected in its core group meeting, to be held here on Friday.
“Party has almost zeroed in its spokesman Naeem Akhtar, a trusted lieutenant of the party patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, who party believes deserve a seat in the House of Elders”, sources said adding that Naeem has scarified a lot for the party and he even left his job when NC came to power in 2008.
Yashpaul Sharma, an old time Congress leader, who joined PDP last year is also expected to be the second nominee of the party for one of the seats from Jammu province. He is expected to replace Murtaza Khan from Mendhar.
All the eight LC seats falling vacant in March are to be filled up through polls for which votes are to be cast by the designated Electoral College.
Out of the total strength of 36 members only two seats, reserved for Urban Local Bodies, are presently vacant. NC has the highest number of 15 members, followed by Congress with 14, PDP 4 and JKNPP one member in the Upper House.
Officials said that all the seats falling vacant were to be filled through elections. While four seats each in Kashmir and Jammu regions were falling vacant, one of the seats in Jammu region is reserved for Doda district.
The Doda seat has to be contested by Congress but it was not sure if there will be any contest from the opposition parties due to the less number of legislatures in their kitty.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 IST