Srinagar, Dec 8: State Congress chief Prof Saifuddin Soz Saturday said the AICC is the ultimate authority to decide about pre-poll alliance with National Conference for 2014 assembly polls. He also said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah “has a right to speak about 2014 alliance between the two parties.”
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at J&K Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters here, Soz said the final authority to decide whether Congress would forge pre-poll alliance with NC lies with the Congress high command. “I am not in a position to comment on this. It is the party high command that would decide about the issue,” he said.
He, however, defended Chief Minsiter’s recent statement that pre-poll alliance of NC and Congress for Legislative Council (LC) polls was the beginning for a grand alliance between Congress and NC for 2014 polls. “Chief Minister has a right to talk about 2014 alliance,” Soz said. Earlier, addressing Sarpanchs and Panchs, the state Congress chief said he will invite AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and party’s incharge J&K affairs incharge Mohan Prakash to attend Panchayat conferences in Kashmir and Jammu regions. “This will help raise the morale of Sarpanchs and Panchs, who voted in favour of coalition and ensured record victory,” Soz said.
He said the Congress wants to discuss important issues with NC. “I will meet Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a few days and discuss some important issues. We will also meet each other in the coordination committee meeting to discuss some of the provisions to be incorporated in the State Panchayat Raj Act 1989,” he said. “But we don’t want any confrontation with our alliance partner. We will sort out issues amicably even if some arguments would take place. A consensus has to be evolved at any cost.”
Soz while thanking the Sarpanchs and Panchs for ensuring the victory of NC-Congress coalition said the Congress strongly believes in providing honorarium and insurance cover, the expenses of which would be covered by the J&K government.  He said MLAs had tried to sabotage the empowerment of Sarpanchs and Panchs by trying to move a bill in the State legislature. “But the move was a futile exercise,” he said.
Soz said the party favors separate Finance and Election Commission for the Sarpanchs and Panchs besides Gram Sabha. “We are committed for empowerment of the Panchayat representatives,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, recently elected MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga said LC elections were not a cake-walk but a tough exercise. “Our constituencies were vast than the Assembly constituency. I have to work for the welfare of the Sarpanchs and Panchs, who reposed faith in me,” he said.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 8 Dec 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 8 Dec 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 9 Dec 2012 00:00:00 IST