Sonia meets party leaders over Kashmir

Ahead of the all-party delegation's visit to Kashmir Valley next week, Congress President Sonia Gandhi held deliberations with senior party leaders on the strategy for the troubled state.

Senior leaders and Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, A K Antony and P Chidambaram took part in the parleys at which Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifuddin Soz and Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, a former chief minister of the state, were also present.

All India Congress Committee general secretary Prithviraj Chavan, who is in charge of party affairs in J&K and Ahmad Patel, Political Secretary to the party chief, also participated in the discussions. The meeting took place a day after the party top brass including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

and Gandhi reviewed at the meeting of the Congress core group the situation in the state witnessing unrest for the last three months.

Party leader Rahul Gandhi has already scotched speculation about a political realignment in Jammu and Kashmir and has backed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, saying he was doing a tough job and should be given time and support. The Congress is a partner in the coalition government in J&K headed by the National Conference.

An all-party delegation will visit Jammu and Kashmir on Monday to assess the ground situation in the state which has been witnessing unrest for the last three months. Sources said the delegation will be in the state for three days during which it will meet leaders of political parties and various other sections of the society.