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| Third time in a decade, Azad forfeits personal preferences to party's command | | | Abodh Sharma
JAMMU, Apr 27: In between debates over the electoral fortunes of Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in the backdrop of a strong Modi wave in the country, what stands out is the fact that Azad has given in his personal preferences to the wishes of the party not once but several times in last decade or so.
An year before the National Conference was rooted out of power and Congress formed the Government in the state in coalition with PDP in 2004, Ghulam Nabi Azad, one of the most powerful men in the AICC was entrusted with the responsibility of putting state unit of the Congress, which was scarred by petty differences between several camps, in order.
Azad, who was the incharge of the several south Indian states at that point of time including Karnataka, was reluctant to come to the state, as he had been in national politics for the last 26 years and had done reasonably well, holding important portfolios in the Union Cabinet and the Party.
Azad knew that the challenge was tremendous, but he took it up with an assurance that he would return to the Centre once the mission was accomplished. It did not take him long to set the JKPCC house in order and the camps led by Mangat Ram Sharma, who later became Dy CM and Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, who later became Chairman of the National Minority Commission had to sack their differences to Azad's aura.
Congress leadership did keep its promise by calling him back to the Centre, before Congress legislators literally squatted in New Delhi, demanding that Azad be dispatched to the state once again to lead the coalition after PDP transferred power to Congress as per the agreed formula. Many say that Azad, who did not want to return to the state, was not amused by the showdown of the party legislators.
Azad returned to become the Chief Minister of the state, setting aside his personal preferences as the true soldier of the party. Though Azad did not complete his term as head of the coalition Government, he is fondly remembered for his initiatives during the truncated term.
Desperately in need of candidates who win seats in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in the backdrop of a strong anti incumbency and a highly polarized electorate across the country, Congress party directed Azad to contest from Kathua-Udhampur-Doda seat, pushing him into his maiden electoral battle from his home state despite his clear reluctance. Azad shed his reluctance to the Party's need and desire just as he did on two previous occasions, but would he be able to turn the tide in his favour remains a million dollar question that would be answered in a fortnight from now. |
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