Srinagar, May 28: Asserting that his party would field candidates from Srinagar city and all towns in the forthcoming Municipal polls, Peoples Conference (PC) chairman Sajjad Gani Lone Monday hinted at going alone in the elections.
 Announcing the joining of Congress leader Muhammad Kamal Malik from central Kashmir’s Budgam district in the party, Lone said that PC would put its candidates in all towns and Srinagar city ‘if government dares to hold the Municipal polls.’
 “We are ready for participation provided government holds the elections,” he said.
 Lone, who is trying to make inroads beyond the party stronghold of north Kashmir, hinted that PC wouldn’t join with any political force in Municipal as well as 2014 Assembly polls.
 “I don’t see any like-minded force here,” he said while replying to a query on whether he would like to ally with any political party in electoral politics.
 Lone said that his party would revive its cadre in central Kashmir’s Budgam district as the area is not alien to them.
 “After we have successfully managed to make deep inroads in Srinagar, our focus would be now on Budgam. Before ’90s PC fielded its candidates from areas like Khansahab and Beerwah and managed to fetch 3000-400 votes from each of the segments,” he said.
 He said that Kamal’s entry would be of immense benefit to the young leadership of the party as he has vast political experience of three decades.
 “We are expecting more people joining in the near future from all parts of the Valley,” he claimed.
 According to Lone, Kamal finished at second number during 2008 Assembly polls by securing 9692 (19.80 percent of votes polled) from Budgam Assembly segment.
 Lone minced no words in castigating Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference saying they were responsible for “economic persecution” of Kashmiris.
 "Our economic system is completely governed by the government. People who behave are economically rewarded and people who do not behave politically are economically punished," Lone said.
 Moulvi Muhammad Maqbool, a veteran political worker and Sarpanch from Aarizal, Budgam, Advocate Fayaz Ahmed Magray from Kanihama, Beerwah, Ghulam Hassan Sheikh from Beerwah and Peer Ghulam Muhammad Shah from Khag Beerwah also joined Peoples Conference on the occasion.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 28 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 28 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 IST