Jammu, Feb 02: Senior Congress leader and Bandipora MLA Nizam Udin Bhat on Monday said the party has conveyed to the National Conference (NC) leadership that it is not comfortable with the post-poll working arrangement, citing lack of coordination and exclusion from decision-making over the past 15 months.
Speaking to KNS after a meeting convened by the ruling NC at the Chief Minister’s residence in Jammu, The discussions were held from 5 pm to 6:15 pm.
He was the sole representative of the Congress party at the meeting.
Bhat said Congress leaders told the NC that while there was a common cause between the two parties before the elections, which proved successful, the same understanding did not continue after the polls.
He said the coordination committee between the two parties was never formed, due to which several major decisions were taken solely by the NC government. These included issues related to reservations, administrative reforms, statehood, and other matters, which, he said, resulted in political losses.
“There was no coordination even during the Rajya Sabha polls and on the strategy with the Centre,” Bhat said, adding that Congress was not taken into consideration while key decisions were made.
He clarified that Congress was not demanding power or positions but wanted the government to fulfil commitments made to people before the elections, particularly on public welfare issues. “Those promises are not being addressed,” he said.
On the issue of restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Bhat said the Congress has been consistently raising the issue but felt that the NC was not serious in supporting the party’s efforts.
Commenting on the ongoing Budget Session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Bhat said the Congress would raise issues wherever it believes the government is wrong.
He said the party would continue to take positions on issues such as statehood and what he described as the BJP’s communal policies, irrespective of whether the NC supports Congress or not.(KNS).
