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| "Farooq, Khalida meet; Shah offered Cabinet berth" | | Abdullah-Shah dynasty re-unification on cards | | early times report
Srinagar, Oct 5 : In a major political development, after more than three decades of political rivalry and estranged relations, the Abdullah and the Shah families are all set for a re-union culminating into merger of the Awami National Conference (ANC) into the ruling National Conference (NC).
According to sources close to the families, decision for merger of the two parties was taken in a meeting between NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah and his sister and ANC chief Begum Khalida Shah at the latter's Moulana Azad Road residence here.
Pertinently the two families had fallen apart right in 1980 when Dr Abdullah was installed by his father, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, as National Conference President and the final break in relations came when late G M Shah toppled Dr Farooq's Government with the help of the Congress in 1984.
However, NC Additional General Secretary and the duo's sibling Dr Mustafa Kamal has paved way for the merger after visiting the Shahs on October 3, in order to inquire about the ANC President's health after she had injured her foot, the sources told KNS. "His visit was followed by Dr Farooq Abdullah and Mrs Abdullah and they discussed at length different family and political issues.
The brother-sister duo were seen sharing and relishing past memories during the meeting.", the sources said adding the announcement of the decision may be made soon after the two take their respective parties into confidence. The move is significant in the backdrop of preparations for 2014 assembly elections as the National Conference is making every effort to consolidate its vote bank. Although the ANC has not won any seats in any of the elections it fought, however it has significantly encroached upon the vote share of the National Conference in its strongholds. Dr Farooq, according to sources, has taken personal interest in convincing his sister on the merger and also offered a cabinet berth to the party. "Senior Vice President of ANC and nephew of the NC President in all likelihood may be nominated by the party for membership of the state legislative council. He is also expected to be inducted into the state cabinet later", the sources added.
However, the merger of the two parties and bonhomie between the two families will have to overcome some hurdles before materializing,
since some quarters in both the parties are not in favour of such a move, the sources said.
Pertinently G M Shah, who had become CM of Jammu and Kashmir by toppling the government of his brother-in-law Farooq Abdullah with support from the Congress, remained Chief Minister of the state from 2 July 1984 to 6 March 1986.
Those who had defected from the National Conference to become Ministers in the G M Shah Govt include : G H Mir, Sheikh Abul Jabbar, Hakim M Yasin, Sonaullah Dar, Mohammad Dilwar Mir, G M Badherwahi, Ali M Naik, G N Kochak, Dr Mehboob Beigh, M Khalil Jowhar, K L Wukhloo, Gurbachan Kumari and Devidas Thakur The Awami National Conference had been set up in 1983, after G M Shah left NC in protest against elevation of Dr Farooq Abdullah to the post of president and subsequently to the chair of Chief Minister of the state. |
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