NC holds brainstorming session, asserts will come back

Jammu and Kashmir's ruling National Conference Tuesday held a marathon brainstorming session with party rank and file, following its debacle in the Lok Sabha elections, and asserted its intention to stage a political comeback.

"Party president, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and working president and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today (Tuesday) held an extraordinary eight-hour-long meeting with provincial leadership, ministers, MLAs, MLCs, district presidents and block presidents to seek feedback about the reasons for the recent election results and formulate a future course of action," said a statement issued by the National Conference here.

"The closed door meeting saw all district presidents, district secretaries and block presidents speak both about the local factors in their delegated areas as well as the general organisational and political factors in view of the recent Lok Sabha election results."

"Dr. Farooq Abdullah spoke to the organisational office bearers and assured them that the party would bounce back with passion to come up to the expectations of the common masses," it said, adding that he "expressed great hope and optimism in the party's strength and ability to overcome the recent debacle in a spectacular manner".

Farooq Abdullah, who himself lost from the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, announced that the party leadership would launch a comprehensive set of organisational measures and mechanisms to constantly seek suggestions and alleviate the grievances of the party cadre and office-bearers.

"In this connection it was announced that the party president will be present at the NC headquarters in Srinagar two days a week to meet party workers and office bearers," he said.

The statement said Omar Abdullah sat through the entire meeting and "spoke at the end after patiently listening to deliberations".

"Omar Abdullah said drastic corrective measures would be taken to bring the organisation closer to the party cadres and the common masses to evolve ways and means to engage with the people and involve them in governance related issues and their requisite solutions."

The chief minister said he "doesn't believe in melodrama and theatrics and would work day and night to herald a resolute comeback for National Conference in the forthcoming assembly elections".

The NC lost the three Lok Sabha seats - Anantnag, Srinagar and Baramulla - in the Kashmir Valley to its rival, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Despite being in power, the NC did miserably in all but seven assembly segments out of the 46 comprising the three Lok Sabha constituencies.