Prominent Congress activist joins NC in JK's Kishtwar

A prominent Congress activist today joined the National Conference (NC) in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, a party spokesman said.

Pyare Lal Sharma, who enjoys support of dozens of senior congress workers who last month came open against the sitting party legislator G M Saroori, joined the NC at a function in Kishtwar.

NC provincial president Devender Singh Rana welcomed Sharma in the party fold and said his joining would strengthen the party in the district.

On June 29, nearly two dozen senior Congress workers, including several Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) and District Congress Committee members (DCC) held a press conference here demanding mandate for Sharma instead of retaining Saroori in the next assembly polls.

Rana, addressing the function, emphasised the need of steering Jammu and Kashmir to political stability, saying the "breach of trust and mandate by the just-ended opportunistic BJP-PDP combination" had hugely shattered peoples' faith in democratic polity, which is now needed to be restored and reinforced.

"NC alone can assuage peoples' aspirations given its track record of selfless service and steadfast approach to protect the distinct identity of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions," he said.