Difference persist between Cong, PDP on seat sharing

NEW DELHI, Feb 9 (UNI): Minor differences have surfaced in the ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir over seat adjustment for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) keen to contest from all the three seats in the the valley.

PDP senior functionary Ghulam Hasan Mir held talks with senior congress leaders Dr Manmohan Singh and Arjun Singh and conveyed his party's desire to fight from all the seats in the valley.

The Congress wants to contest at least one seat Baramulla from the valley, two seats from Jammu and one from Ladakh, party sources said.

However, the differences are likely to be resolved by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.

Mir, who won the Baramulla assembly seat, is eager to field the party's candidate from the Baramulla parliamentary constituency.

Meanwhile, newly reconstituted Pradesh Congress Committee will meet in Jammu tomorrow to finalise the party's strategy for the coming Lok Sabha polls.

It will also discuss various issues to prop up the party image in the state with an aim to galvanise the cadre.

Ashok Bhan, who has been appointed convenor of the campaign committee, said the party will take stock of the political situation in the state and also discuss poll pact with the PDP.

Bhan said the party is also in touch with other allies like the Panthers Party and the CPI(M) on forging an alliance of secular forces.

He expressed confidence that the issue of seat adjustment with the PDP would be resolved to the satisfaction of all.