Four independent candidates extend support to NC, party reaches majority in J&K

NEW DELHI: The Congress has been relegated from a junior partner in the incoming Jammu and Kashmir government to a relative non-entity, after four independent MLAs extended support to the National Conference, the ‘big brother’ in the alliance that won this week’s election.

Pyare Lal Sharma, Satish Sharma, Choudhary Mohammed Akram, and Dr Rameshwar Singh – who won the Inderwal, Chhamb, Surankote, and Bani seats – have backed the NC.

The party now has the support of 46 lawmakers – the majority mark in the 90-member House; this does not include the five to be nominated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

This means the National Conference now does not need the Congress’ support to govern, adding to an existential crisis that has dogged the party over the last decade, fuelled by all-too-many leadership squabbles and election losses, the most recent of which was Haryana. (NDTV)