NC`s working committee to decide on pre-poll alliance: Farooq

Srinagar: The working committee of National Conference will meet to discuss the issue of pre-poll alliance for next year`s elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Union minister Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said.

"The working committee of National Conference will sit and take a call and only after that we will come before you and will reveal what we are going to do," Abdullah told reporters here after inaugurating a sports event. National Conference is a part of UPA at the Centre while it is the major ally in the coalition ruling Jammu and Kashmir, where Lok Sabha elections will be held early next year while state Assembly polls are due toward the end of 2014. When asked if he would like Lok Sabha and state Assembly polls held simultaneously in the state, Abdullah said he will have to consult the working committee of his party on the issue. "For that (simultaneous elections), I have to talk to the working committee which will take a final decision on the issue," he said. On the use of liquor and money as inducement in polls, the Union Minister said people of Kashmir did not like alcohol. "Thanks to Allah there are no liquor consumers in Kashmir and the people hate liquor. Therefore, there is no question of distributing alcohol in the Valley (during elections)," he said. In a lighter vein, he said people should take money from whoever is distributing it but "vote for National Conference". "It is good if they start distributing money. I am asking them (people) to take the money but vote for us .... The money does not belong to their fathers. It is all black money and comes out only during the election period. So I am advising people to take double but vote for NC," he said.