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| Congress should not put all its eggs in NC basket | | | For the time being the row over empowering Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir seems to have ended after the National Conference leadership clearly indicated that the Panchayati Raj Act in the state would be suitably amended to give more powers to panchs and sarpanches.In fact it was Rahul Gandhi who played the vital role in convincing Chief Minister,Omar Abdullah that empowerment of the Panchayats was one among various dreams of the Congress.As partner to the Government Rahul Gandhi was not prepared to stomach criticism from the opposition blaming the Congress for adopting a dubious stand on the issue.A word had reached Rahul Gandhi that the Congress was being accused of playing the second fiddle to the National Conference with the result Omar had shown guts for delaying the demand for empowering Pancha-yats. And this time Rahul Gandhi prevailed upon Omar to accept the demand for empowering Panchayats which could be done simply by incorporating some of the provisions of the central Act in the state Act without allowing direct extension of the central Act.And the NC leadership has agreed to do so.This is evident from the statement of two ministers,Ali Mohd.Sagar,and Taj Mohiuddin,with former clearly indicating that the Panchayats were to be empowered and the latter climing that there was no dispute now between the Congress and the NC on the issue.
The first positive impact of the truce between the two coalition Government partners has been in the shape of rethinking on the Congress-NC alliance even after the end of the next Assembly poll. Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have hinted that the alliance between their parties will continue beyond the 2014 general elections."I am a supporter of Omar. I am a friend of Omar. Absolutely, we have a government here together," Rahul has said. The Congress vice president said he will canvass for Omar in the coming elections. Omar said he saw no reason for his party to snap ties with UPA. "We are committed partners of UPA and we have had a very good relationship with UPA. We see no reason why that should change. It is as simple as that.Omar, however, said a final decision on the issue will be taken by National Conference president Farooq Abdullah in consultation with coalition partners. "It (alliance) is not for me to decide. I am not the president of National Conference nor am I the president of Congress party. This decision is left to the President of National Conference. But this obviously is not a decision that he will take on his own. It is a decision which we will take in consultation with the allies," he said. This view Omar has held to convey to the Congress that he should not be see begging for allowing the Congress-NC alliance to survive during and the after the elections. Well despite these assertions nothing definite can be said about the prospects of the Congress-NC alliance in weeks to come. Yes,there is no doubt that the NC leadership will be the last to snal ties with the Congress as long as it is in power in the centre.Not only this:by allowing he Congress-NC alliance to survive the NC leadersip is trying to block the possibility of revival of Congress-PDP alliance.The NC leadership knows it fully well that the only way to keep the PDP out of power is to maintain the ties with the Congress. Compar ed to the PDP and the NC the Congress has the advantage of enjoying the liberty for forging alliance either with the NC or with the PDP.If the NC leadership opts for snap ties with the Congress,the latter has the option for forging alliance with the PDP for the formation of the Government in Jammu and Kashmir as had been the case between 2002 and 2007. A such the PDP too is looking for an opportunity to revive its alliance with the Congress which could enable it to stall the NC's urge for retaining power.In case the NC or the PDP win absolute majority in the Assembly election the two may not need to form an alliance for Government making.But chances for this seem to be remote.But in the interest of maintaining a balance the Congress needs to keep the option for forging alliance open with either the NC or the PDP. Political observers are of the opinion that the political arrangement hammered out in 2009,formation of the alliance bet ween the NC and the Congress,has not proved as successful as the PDP-Congress coalition rule had proved between 2002 and 2007. As such the Congress in general and Rahul Gandhi in particular should not lose sight of it. |
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