Congress Ganderbal chief Saahil Farooq has asked his party to allow him to contest the upcoming Assembly elections against National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah, threatening to fight as an Independent if the party doesn’t approve of it.
The NC and the Congress have an alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.
The development has unfolded a day ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, where he will be campaigning for the alliance candidates.
In the 90-member Assembly, the NC is contesting 51 seats and the Congress 31. There will be a “friendly contest” in five constituencies while two seats have been allotted to allies.
Farooq said he had asked the Congress to allow him to contest as a party candidate.
“I told them (Congress) that I was feeling a lot of pressure from my party cadre. They want me to contest. I told the party that if there could be a friendly contest in five seats, why not in Ganderbal?” Farooq told The Telegraph.
“I had given them time till Tuesday evening to respond and told them that if they don’t allow me, I will fight as an Independent. I have got no response from the party. I have decided to contest as an Independent,” he said.
The Congress district president, however, said he would continue to be associated with the party. “I have been a loyal soldier of the party for the past 20 years. I am not leaving the party. My workers are angry and say people from outside are being imposed on us. Omar sahab is from Srinagar while PDP candidate Bashir Ahmad Mir is from Kangan,” he said.
“I am confident of winning the seat.”
An NC leader said it was for the Congress to prevent Farooq from contesting. “We are confident about Omar sahab’s victory. But it would be a betrayal if he is allowed to contest even as an Independent. In that case, the Congress will have to take action against him,” he said.
Omar last week unexpectedly joined the election fray after breaking his years-long pledge not to contest until statehood was restored to Jammu and Kashmir.
A Congress leader said the party was in touch with Farooq and is trying to persuade him not to contest. The last date for filing nominations in Ganderbal is September 5.
