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| Farooq is NC's CM candidate | | | Bashir Assad
Srinagar, May 20: After being decimated in the recently held Lok Sabha elections, the National Conference, while realizing the failure of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to govern, has decided to put a brave face in the Assembly elections, with Dr Farooq Abdullah as its Chief Ministerial candidate.
Party insiders say senior leaders from all three regions have put the blame for the electoral debacle on the young brigade of Omar. They have made it emphatically clear that revamp is only possible through restructuring of the party from top to bottom.
Sources said that Abdullah Senior has agreed to lead the party in the state Assembly elections, due in October this year. Sources add that the axe is likely to fall on close aids of Omar, including two provincial presidents, Nasir Aslam Wani and Devinder Rana.
"The debacle in the Lok Sabha elections was shameful. However, it has given us an opportunity to prove our point. We will certainly assert our authority now," a senior NC leader told Early Times today. The NC leader added that only the charismatic leadership of Dr Farooq Abdullah, with a team of senior, experienced leaders can change the fortunes of the party. He stated that ignoring the senior leaders could be one of the reasons for the poor performance of the party in the just-concluded Parliamentary elections.
Another senior leader of NC who did not want to be identified said that in order to instil confidence among NC workers, Dr Farooq will be declared as the Chief Ministerial candidate. He admitted that Omar has failed to connect with the people, particularly the workers at the ground level. He said it was now certain that Dr Farooq will lead NC in the next Assembly elections. The NC leader said that Dr Farooq has agreed to concentrate on state politics.
Meanwhile, Dr Farooq started the deliberations on today with party workers and leaders to have first-hand information on reasons for the poor show of the party in the Assembly elections. Sources privy to the meeting said that many leaders and workers spoke openly against the party functionaries, including the Chief Minister and his close aides. They said that the workers demanded in one voice that Abdullah Senior should rein in and take control of the party affairs.
It is learnt that Dr Abdullah also had a meeting with the legislators and senior leaders, who apparently are not happy with Omar. Sources said six NC legislators and some other senior leaders told Abdullah in unambiguous terms that they were not happy with the style of working of the Chief Minister. |
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