Rift in political parties surfaces ahead of Poonch by-poll

Jammu , Nov 12 (UNI) Differences within the major political parties have cropped up with the announcement of by-elections to fill up the vacant assembly seat of Poonch constituency in Jammu.

None of the three major political parties -- the Congress, People's Democratic Party (PDP) and National Conference (NC) -- could yet announce their party nominee for the Poonch constituency seat, which goes for by-election on December 12.

The legislative assembly seat of Poonch had become vacant after the death of the NC MLA , Mr Ghulam Mohammad Jaan.

''Where son of late Mr Ghulam Mohammad Jaan, Mr Aijaz Jaan is a choice of NC president Omar Abdullah , party patron and former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah wanted a women candidate, Dr Shahnaz Ganai, for the constituency seat,'' sources said.

Dr Shahnaz Ganai , daughter of Ghulam Mohammad Ganai, who had served the NC for decades, had quit her job claiming she had been invited by Dr Abdullah to join NC and contest from Poonch constituency.

Besides these two, sources said, Choudhary Bashir Naaz, a senior NC leader representing party in the Legislative Council, was also fighting hard to get green signal for Poonch seat from the party high command.

Not only for the NC, which faces an in house divide, the by-election has also brought to the light the rift within the Congress and People's Democratic Party ( PDP).

''Congress party' Mohammad Younis, Yashpal Sharma and Mir Jahangir, and PDP leaders Imtiyaz Bandey and Choudhary Lal Hussain are also running from pillar to post for party mandate as both allies in the state government have yet not decided whether they will fight for the seat jointly or separately,'' sources disclosed.

UNI