By IANS,
Jammu : The coordination committee of Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling National Conference (NC) and Congress will meet here Saturday “to hammer out difference and avoid further conflict”, Congress insiders said.
State Congress chief Saifuddin Soz heads the committee. The meeting, to be attended by senior National Conference and Congress leaders, is aimed at “smooth and effective working of the coalition”, a Congress leader said.
Also on the agenda is the impending cabinet reshuffle.
According to Congress party sources, directions to hold the meeting have come from the “high command”.
The Congress has charged senior coalition partner NC of not taking it on board on major decisions. This was stated by Soz after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced in October last year that the Armed Forces Special powers Act (AFSPA) “will be removed from some parts of state within days”.
Congress leaders had also alleged that the NC was dominating governance and not giving the party its due.
According to a Congress leader, party president Sonia Gandhi said during the meeting with Abdullah and other NC and Congress leaders Thursday, on the occasion of completion of three years of the coalition, that both allies have to be equal partners.
Congress leaders had been demanding that the chief minister’s post be rotated so that both parties get a three-year term. The NC opposed this, saying that it was decided at the time of forging the alliance that Omar Abdullah would be the chief minister for six years — the whole term of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.