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| Congress-NC Coalition on the verge of collapse | | Messages from Ashoka hotel | | Neha
JAMMU, Sept 2: The fundamental messages from Hotel Ashoka, Jammu, where the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) held a day-long convention of its executive members on August 31, were loud and clear. The fundamental messages were three.
One, the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held along with the general elections and not after October 2014. In other words, the elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly could be held anytime between October 2013 and May 2014. The term of the Omar Abdullah-led Government would otherwise expire on January 4, 2015, as he assumed the office on January 5, 2009 with the help of the Congress. It was none other than Union Health Minister and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who hinted at early elections both at the centre and in the state. "You have only five months to fulfill the promises which our party has made to the people in the 2008 Assembly elections…The Assembly elections are likely be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections," he told the participants in the convention.
Two, the Congress will go to the polls all alone and field its candidates in all the 87 Assembly constituencies. "In five months you (JKPCC executive members) have to prepare yourself to contest the elections on all 87 Assembly seats…Out of a total 87 seats, we have to win at least 50 seats to implement our agenda…Apart from the BJP, the Congress has been facing a tough challenge from two regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP)," Azad said. He made these important observations and statements reportedly in response to the views of a majority of speakers at the convention. These speakers had expressed resentment over what called the "failure of the party to pursue its own agenda in the Government".
Azad appreciated their concern and told them that it was not possible for the Congress to implement its own agenda, as it was not running a one-party Government in the state and urged them strengthen the party in all the 87 Assembly constituencies so that the party captures a minimum of 50 seats to formed the next Government on its own. In other words, he acknowledged that it was because of the alliance of the Congress with the NC that the former could not play the required role and that the time has come for the Congress party to stand on its own feet.
It needs to be emphasized that "officially" the Congress leadership kept the alliance option with the NC open but in the in-camera meeting of the executive members of the JKPCC and other party cadres, Ghulam Nabi Azad and AICC general secretary and in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Congress Ambika Soni on August 31 gave a clear indication that the party would contest the elections on all 87 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
Three, an overwhelming majority of the executive members of the JKPCC opposed tooth and nail the idea of forging a pre-poll alliance with the NC, but did not overrule the possibility of post-poll alliance with the NC or any other political party (read the PDP with which it shared power between November 2, 2002 and June 28, 2008). In 2009, the Congress, which had won 18 seats, had entered into a pre-poll alliance with the NC, which had won 28 seats in the 87-member Assembly. It would be appropriate to refer to here what Ambika Soni said in this regard at the convention. She reportedly said: "The decision on the alliance would be taken after getting feedback from workers". This was an official statement. But what transpired behind the curtain was something totally different. In the closed-door meeting she told the participants that "she has directed the state leadership to hold conventions in all 87 Assembly segments in the coming days". It was clear from what she said that the Congress and the NC would contest the Assembly elections separately like they did in the just-held elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Kargil.
There was one more message from Hotel Ashoka and it was to the effect that all the Congress Ministers must focus their attention on the entire state so that the party is able to strengthen itself and expand further its support-base. She even went to extent of describing the Congress Ministers as "constituency Ministers" and held them responsible for the failure of the Congress to implement the party's agenda and programme. "Instead of working to strengthen the party in the state, these Ministers had confined their activities to their respective constituencies and had compromised with party's agenda to remain in power.
All in all, it can be said that the NC-Congress coalition is on the brink of collapse and that the Congress has made up its mind to contest election on all the Assembly seats. This is precisely what the Congress workers want. |
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