Seeking to indicate that normalcy is returning to J-K, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said today that the next conference of party Chief Ministers would be held in Srinagar in June.‘‘We also want to show that the Congress will never allow any compromises on J-K,’’ stressed a senior party leader on the choice of the state where the Congress shares a coalition government with the People’s Democratic Party.This would be the first time that the conference is being held in a state where the party is in coalition government, others were held in Delhi, Assam and Rajasthan.The party is also clearly focusing on the 2004 general elections campaign when its endeavours in the state would be a crucial point. A conference in J-K would help in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Delhi where voters usually have a more national perspective while assessing parties.However, the Congress was found floundering on J-K policy soon after the Prime Minister’s visit, with the only defence that the party was in government in the state and shared the process of normalisation. ‘‘The Congress wants to convey to the international community on how the party looks at the state and how it believes that with the right policies, the state can be peaceful once again,’’ the leader said.It was expected that the conference, where the party discusses state issues, would be held in one of the four Congress-ruled states going to polls this year. ‘‘We did not want to look at the elections or the electoral gains that come out of holding such a conference in the states going to polls,’’ the leader added. The practice of Chief Minister’s conference was started by Sonia and is now held every six months.
