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| Taj, Manohar speaking differently | | Pre-Poll Alliance | | Neha
JAMMU, Dec 15: The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's November 22 Bandipora suggestion that the National Conference (NC) and the Congress should forge a pre-poll alliance and contest the next Assembly elections jointly has, it appears, triggered a fierce debate in the Congress camp. In fact, it seems, the suggestion has divided the Congress party into three camps: One favouring pre-poll alliance, the other keeping the option open and the third neither opposing nor supporting the idea of a pre-poll alliance.
Senior Congress leader and Irrigation Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din has taken a clear stand on the issue and would, according to a report, want to recommend that the NC and the Congress should contest the next Assembly elections jointly. The report said: "Taj Mohi-ud-Din openly favours the alliance with NC saying that the recent Legislative Council polls were pre-cursor to the 'grand alliance' proclaimed by Omar Abdullah. 'The recent polls where Congress and NC fought (together) was enough indication that Congress should go for an alliance with NC in the upcoming polls'… Both the parties have shown trust in each other. 'So if you seek my personal opinion, I highly recommend that Congress should fight Assembly and Parliamentary polls with NC".
Taj meant what he reportedly said. He is one leader in the Congress who has consistently supported the NC and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for reasons too well-known. In fact, he is the one who took cudgels with JKPCC chief Saif-ud-Din Soz a number of times and opposed those who wanted Omar Abdullah to demit office after he completed three years in office - a stand which had provoked many in the Congress party to the extent that they had demanded stringent action against him saying he had been indulging in anti-party activities. The argument advanced by Taj and others of his ilk in the party, according to the report, is that "the coalition has worked well and NC has supported Congress party and Ministers at critical junctures". It needs to be underlined that the idea of pre-poll alliance, if fructified, will not affect Taj, as the Congress high command is unlikely to vacate the Uri Assembly seat for the NC. Taj has won from this constituency twice in a row.
On the other hand, there are Congress leaders like Minister of State Cooperatives, Industries, Commerce and Planning Manohar Lal who do not endorse the Taj line. They, according to a report, want to keep the option open. They say they have other "option" available to form Government in the state. Manohar Lal has, it needs to be noted, told a local news agency that "there is no question of any compulsion to form the Government with National Conference (NC)" and that the "Congress has other options available to remain in the power, keeping NC aside". Obviously, the leaders like Manohar Lal mean the People's Democratic Party (PDP), which has over the past couple of years emerged as a great political force in the Valley capable of upsetting the NC's applecart. If the prevailing political situation in the Kashmir valley is any indication, then one can say without hesitation that the PDP would improve its position in the next Assembly elections. There are leaders in the Congress party who would prefer a coalition with the PDP, instead of NC, and the leaders like Manohar Lal obviously belong to this camp. IT is significant to note that Manohar Lal is a staunch supporter of Ghulam Nabi Azad. The opponents of the pre-poll alliance suggestion believe "any deal with NC would cost Congress its Chief Minister post."
The leader of the third camp is none other than the JKPCC president. Till date, he has not cleared his stand on the NC proposal. He has repeatedly said that it is for the high command to accept or reject the proposal and that he has no mandate to speak on policy matters. Even yesterday, he told a Kashmir-based daily that "I can't speak on the matter. I don't know anything about it". Senior Congress leader Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand has also maintaining an unambiguous stand. He has reportedly said that he has not received any communication to the effect that the NC and the Congress would contest the next Assembly elections together.
One thing is more than evident: The state Congress leadership is not one. It is also clear that there are many Congress leaders in the state who would try their best to scuttle the move on forging an alliance with the NC. |
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