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| Congress high command unlikely to oblige JKPCC | | Conflict over Kargil Council | | MINCING
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Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 8: The people of Kargil went to the poll on August 22 to elect a new Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Council (KAHDC). The KAHDC was set up in 2003 during the rule of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Ever since its formation, it remained under the control of the NC. However, on August 22, the people of Kargil voted against the NC, thus expressing no-confidence in this Kashmir-based outfit. The NC, which in 2008 had won as many as 18 seats in the 30-member council – 26 elected and four nominated – on its own won only 8 seats. Indeed, the NC suffered a massive defeat at the hands of the people of Kargil.
The Congress, which is an ally of the NC both at the centre and in the state, improved its tally by four seats. It won 12 seats, as against its 2008 tally of 8. The Congress needed just 2 additional members to stake its claim to the council and it got its numbers right. It was also certain that the Congress for the first time would lead the council, but it was not to be. The NC played a trick and nominated four members to the council to tilt the balance in its own favour so that it could convert its defeat into a victory. The NC nominated its own persons to the council without consulting its ally and it was this action that further embittered the already rather bitter relations between the two coalition partners at the state level.
The JKPCC chief tried his level best to persuade the NC leadership to see reason and do something that could assuage the hurt feelings of the Congress leadership of the state in general and of Kargil in particular, but with no result. Sources close to him say that he is still on the job and add that “it is extremely unlikely that the NC would go back on its undemocratic decision”.
Meanwhile, “serious” attempts are being made by the Congress leadership to persuade the Congress high command to intervene in the matter and salvage the situation for the Congress party. Since Sonia Gandhi is away in the United States for medial check up and the Prime Minister doesn’t move even an inch without the prior approval of Sonia Gandhi, it is for AICC vice-president and Sonia Gandhi’s son Rahul Gandhi whose authority no one in the party and the government can challenge to intervene to break the deadlock. But here the problem is that Rahul Gandhi cares more for the NC than the Congress party. He maintains very good relations with Omar Abdullah and he is unlikely to oblige the JKPCC by asking the NC leadership to behave failing which the Congress will withdraw its support to the government. It seems that the Congress is out of the race. |
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