(MENAFN-IANS) Srinagar, Aug 26 (IANS) – The Congress has sent its top leaders to Srinagar to discuss seat-sharing arrangements with the National Conference (NC) as the two parties have so far failed to reach a consensus on the issue.

Congress sources here said that senior party leaders, including KC Venugopal and Salman Khurshid, will meet NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah in Srinagar on Monday to end the deadlock over seat-sharing arrangement.

According to sources, the Congress is expecting a larger share of seats in the Kashmir Legislative Assembly as it is willing to give more seats to the NC in the Jammu constituency.

While the Congress party has considerable influence in the Jammu constituency, the NC is firmly anchored in the valley with its Muslim majority population.

The Congress party has some influential seats in the valley as it won three to four seats in previous assembly elections, including Dooru and Shangus in Anantnag and Sopore and Uri in Baramulla district.

JKPCC chairman Tariq Hameed Karra hails from Batmaloo area of ​​Srinagar city. The Congress expects the NC to give this seat to the Congress to accommodate the JKPCC chairman.

What lends credibility to the Congress party’s advocacy for better conditions in the Valley is the statement made by senior Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, during his recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

After meeting Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah at their highly secured Gupkar residence in Srinagar, Rahul Gandhi said the reputation and overall interests of the Congress MPs would not be affected by seat-sharing with the NC in the upcoming general elections.

On the other hand, the NC leadership expects the Congress to realise that the NC is firmly entrenched in the Valley as well as in the Muslim-dominated parliamentary seats in Rajouri, Poonch, Doda districts and some other areas in Jammu constituency.

Both political parties expect to be able to make the best of both worlds.

Given the political chemistry in Jammu and Kashmir, an agreement on seat-sharing would not be possible unless both Congress and North Carolina agree to set aside partisan considerations as much as possible and contest the election together.

The Indian Parliamentary Commission of Jammu and Kashmir has announced a three-stage electoral plan for the parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Voting for the first phase will take place on 15 September, for the second phase on 28 September and for the final phase on 1 October.

The counting will take place on October 4 and the entire electoral process will be completed on October 6.

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