The Congress' core group on Jammu and Kashmir met Monday to discuss the political situation in the state and decided to hold deliberations with local leaders in Kashmir Tuesday.

New Delhi: The Congress' core group on Jammu and Kashmir met Monday to discuss the political situation in the state and decided to hold deliberations with local leaders in Kashmir Tuesday. The meeting was held at the residence of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who heads the group.

The group also includes senior Congress leaders Karan Singh, P Chidambaram, Ghulam Nabi Azad, party general secretary in charge of the state Ambika Soni and Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir. The party will hold a meeting of its legislators in the state in Srinagar Tuesday and discuss the way forward, Soni told reporters after the meeting.

"We discussed the latest political situation in the state and decided that we will take our party's point of view and work done to the people of Jammu, Kashmir, Leh and Ladakh in the next two-three months," she said. She said members of the group would visit Kargil and Leh in the next two months or so, as they had not yet visited the region to meet the people of those area.

The members have already held discussions with the people of the Jammu and Srinagar regions. Asked if there was any possibility of forming government in alliance with the PDP, she said, "I cannot answer any questions on rumours." Senior leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, including Azad and Mir, have answered the questions related to the Jammu and Kashmir politics from time to time, she said.

"We have demanded that there be early elections in Jammu and Kashmir. We have invited our leaders from Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh for a meeting in the state tomorrow," she said. Asked when the elections should be held, Soni said, "We have to strengthen our party first and we have to formulate a policy for the future."

The Congress is in a wait and watch mode in the state, which is under Governor's Rule after the BJP pulled out of its alliance with the PDP. There are reports of the National Conference and the PDP approaching the Congress for government formation in the state. However, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has ruled out that the party will form a government with the PDP.