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| As Mufti, Azad watch from bay, Bakaya walks into NC | | Former CS gets charge of economic affairs | |
Jammu, July 12
With former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his successor Ghulam Nabi Azad watching from the bay, the former Chief Secretary Vijay Bakaya –considered to be a catalyst of Kashmiri Pandit politics –today joined the ranks of National Conference.
The announcement of Bakaya’s joining National Conference was made in Srinagar as patron Dr Farooq Abdullah took him into the party fold. Bakaya has been packed in National Conference along with another former Chief Secretary Sheikh Ghulam Rasool who had joined the party in 1996.
When asked what assignment, Bakaya will immediately look after, Dr Abdullah said, “we have set up an economic cell of the party which would prepare the party's economic agenda. The cell would be headed by Bakaya and Sheikh Ghulam Rasool”.
It may mentioned here that both Peoples Democratic Party and the Congress had been keen to take Bakaya into their respective party folds. With their interest in the Kashmiri Pandit constituency by way of Bakaya the former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had made him the Chief Secretary by bypassing at least two IAS officers. The present Chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad first gave him a three month extension as Chief Secretary and then re-employed him for an year as Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Reconstruction Agency.
When asked as why he preferred to join the National Conference, Bakaya said, “its ideology is close to my heart.” He pointed out that during his bureaucratic career he had the several senior NC leaders including Sheikh Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah when they were the Chief Ministers. ”He said both Sheikh Sahib and Farooq Sahib had helped “me in managing my administrative affairs.”
Interestingly, Bakaya sought to dispel the impressions that Mufti did favours upon him. He said, “my promotion was due and there was no question of favours”
He said it was not his identity of Pandit which is important for him or the National Conference but more he would like to assert himself as a Kashmiri to service the people of Kashmir.
As we had already reported last month that Bakaya or any other Kashmiri Pandit of his stature joining any political party can be an asset for the party for wooing the migrant votes which can influence half a dozen assembly constituencies.
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