Union home minister P. Chidambaram arrived here on Thursday to take stock of the security situation and political developments in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr Chidambaram will review the security situation both here and in the hilly district of Kishtwar, about 200 km Northeast of Jammu, to find out about the "ground realities", official sources said.
He will start with an interaction with local Congress leaders and get their inputs about governance and how the party can be strengthened in the state, where it is ruling in alliance with the National Conference. Pradesh Congress Committee president Saif-ud-Din Soz had extended an invite to the home minister to visit the state and take the views of state Congress leaders into account while formulating any policy on Kashmir. Later in the evening, the home minister is scheduled to meet Governor N.N. Vohra. He will also meet chief minister Omar Abdullah Friday morning, before flying to Kishtwar to review the situation there.