Srinagar, Oct 07 : The Congress high command is expected to discuss its preliminary negotiations with alliance partner, the National Conference, regarding the Rajya Sabha elections and the party’s strategy for the polls with senior leader Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are expected to meet national president J.P. Nadda and national general secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santosh today to discuss candidates for the polls.

Sources told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the Congress high command is holding off key decisions on the Rajya Sabha polls until the return of Rahul Gandhi, who is currently on a four-nation tour of South America and is expected to return shortly.

“He is expected to return within the next few days. The party high command will brief him about the preliminary negotiations held with the National Conference regarding the seat-sharing arrangement for the Rajya Sabha polls and take a decision accordingly,” sources said.

Sources disclosed that the NC is not averse to offering one seat to the Congress and has not shown any disinclination during the preliminary negotiations with the Congress leadership.

As previously reported by KNO, the Congress could field either working president Raman Bhalla or senior leader and MLA from Dooru, Ghulam Ahmad Mir.

Meanwhile, on the BJP front, its J&K leadership is expected to meet party president J.P. Nadda and general secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santosh to discuss the list of probable candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls.

BJP state president Sat Sharma and general secretary (Organisation) Ashok Koul are currently in the national capital to meet the party leadership.

While the party is expected to field candidates for the first two seats as a symbolic contest against the NC-led alliance, all eyes will be on the candidate fielded by the BJP under the third notification, under which elections will be held for two seats.

It has been reliably learnt that BJP spokesperson and prominent lawyer Sunil Sethi, former president Ravinder Raina, and former deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh are among the frontrunners for the party ticket for the third notification—(KNO)