National Conference pressed Congress for pre-poll tie-up: Jammu and Kashmir Congress

The Congress on Sunday said it was the National Conference which pressed for a pre-poll tie-up with it in Jammu and Kashmir, rejecting NC's allegations that its alliance with the Congress proved suicidal for it in Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress-NC combine failed to open its account as the PDP and the BJP bagged three LS seats each in Jammu and Kashmir.

NC provincial president (Kashmir) Nasir Aslam Wani had on Saturday said its alliance with the Congress had proved "disastrous" for it.

"Had the National Conference fought these elections separately, the results could have been entirely different," he had said.

Rubbishing Wani's allegations, JKPCC spokesman Ravinder Sharma said it was the NC which had pressurised the Congress for a pre-poll tie-up.

Several Congress leaders and workes had expressed their reservation about the alliance, he said.

Moreover, the NC ministers and legislators had failed to obtain leads in their own assembly segments, Sharma said.

According to poll results, the PDP and others led in 21 assembly constituencies represented by NC ministers and MLAs, the JKPCC spokesman said.

Sharma said the Congress leadership and the entire rank and file of the party had campaigned extensively for NC candidates.

The votes secured by NC candidates included a major chunk of Congress supporters, he said.