SRINAGAR, Aug 17: Senior National Conference leader and former minister Ajay Kumar Sadotra on Saturday said his party's parliamentary board will decide the Chief Ministerial candidate in the coming days and expressed hope that Omar Abdullah will reconsider his decision on not contesting the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls.
The Election Commission on Friday announced the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1 and the votes will be counted on October 4.
“The parliamentary board of the party will decide the face of the chief minister. In the recently held working committee meeting, all the speakers requested (party vice president and former chief minister) Omar Abdullah to reconsider his decision of not fighting the assembly elections (before restoration of full statehood),” Sadotra told reporters at the party headquarters here.
The National Conference additional general secretary expressed hope that Omar would reconsider his decision and fight the assembly elections.
Asked about the agenda of the parliamentary board meeting in Srinagar on Monday, Sadotra said the National Conference is a democratic party and the party high command takes all leaders on board before taking any important decision.
According to the Election Commission, the gazette notification for the first phase of elections will be issued on August 20, while the last date for making nomination has been set on August 27 followed by scrutiny next day and withdrawal of candidature on August 30.
“The first list of candidates will be released before the issuance of the gazette notification for the first phase…The parliamentary board will decide the candidates,” he said.
Asked whether party president Farooq Abdullah will also contest the elections in case Omar agrees to jump into the fray, he said the parliamentary board will decide it as well.
On the party's target for the assembly elections and possible pre-poll alliance, he said the National Conference would like to win all the seats to form the government on its own but it is people who have to decide on the new government.
However, one thing is clear that people want a change which is evident from the fact that the BJP's vote share in the parliamentary elections declined drastically, Sadotra said.
He said the National Conference is fully prepared for the elections and added the decision on pre-poll alliance will be taken by the party high command.
Earlier, Sadotra welcomed several prominent political and social activists from R S Pora and Suchetgarh in the party fold.
Farooq Abdullah was scheduled to welcome the new entrants but had to leave the venue before the start of the joining function due to some work.
Earlier on Friday, Abdullah welcomed BJP leader and District Development Council member Joginder Singh Kaku in the party fold at a rally at Jandiyal in the Nagrota assembly constituency.
