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| State Congress poised to repeat October 2003 story to thwart any move to replace Azad | | | Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | Oct 18
Alarmed by the report published in this newspaper yesterday that PDP may seek replacement of Ghulam Nabi Azad as Chief Minister of J&K with some other top party leader from the state, pro Azad Congress leaders are gearing up for putting a strong resistance to any such move. Some Congress leaders, including a senior minister and few MLAs, on condition of anonymity told Early Times special correspondent that they will mobilize the central party leaders, who are in favour of Azad and create conditions similar to those created by them in October 2005, when they stalled the move by the PDP, supported by some Congress leaders in the center to allow Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to continue as the Chief Minister of the state, by threatening to resign enmass from their assembly seats as well as from the party posts, if the power sharing arrangement reached between the two parties after the 2002 assembly elections is not adhered to and any compromise in the same is made. According to the power sharing arrangement between the Congress and the PDP, entered into in October 2003, PDP leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was to head the state government for first three years and Congress nominee, Ghulam Nabi Azad to replace him on November 2 2005, for the rest of three years. But towards the end of three years of Mufti led government in the state, PDP leaders had pressed for continuance of Mufti as the Chief Minister, in order not to disturb the claimed goodwill created by him among the fence sitters and even pro separatist people in the state. It was also argued that in view of large scale devastation, including loss of many human lives in the earthquake of October 8 that year and relief and rehabilitation work taken in hand under the command of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the same will get disturbed and upset, in case of change of guard in the state government.
There are authentic reports that the Congress President Sonia Gandhi as well as the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had almost relented to the pressure brought to bear on them by some leaders in the Congress High Command as well as some leaders of other parties friendly to the Congress as well as to Mufti, for allowing Mufti to continue as the Chief Minister, at least for one year more, to facilitate smooth accomplishment of relief and rehabilitation of earthquake victims in parts of Kashmir. It was the do or die battle fought by some Congress leaders of second rung including some young MLAs that the centre Congress High Command, including Prime Minister and party President changed their mind and the transfer of power from PDP to Congress was effected on November 2 2005, as per the original agreement.
Apprehending the Congress High Command to succumb before the pressure from some Congress leaders in the centre to replace Azad by some other Congress leader as the Chief Minister of the coalition government in the state, in order to accommodate Mufti Sayeed and his daughter, to keep Congress alliance with PDP intact even after the term of present assembly expires and for the two parties to fight elections together, the pro Azad Congress leaders in the state are gearing up to resist any such possible move. They would prefer the PDP to pull out of the government and exude confidence that even after PDP pulls out of the coalition, the Congress can manage to continue remaining in power for the next year. But even if there is threat to Azas government, they will prefer mid term elections rather than submitting before the PDP dictates. However, a small section of Congress leaders will be reconciled if Azad is replaced by Saif Ahmed Soz, whose name is in currency, as Chief Minister of the state. These circles in the state Congress as well as in the centre contend that Soz will be more acceptable to the PDP as well as he has close rapport with the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference and some other separatist groups in Kashmir.
The pro Azad lobby in the J&K Congress contends that any surrender before Mufti and PDP will cost very dearly to the Congress in the coming elections particularly in Jammu region where the party has its strong base and where they have further consolidated their position, since 2002 elections. Even in Kashmir valley by fighting next elections independently, without entering into any alliance with the PDP, the Congress will improve upon its tally from the present five MLAs, it is contended. They will prefer some understanding with the National Conference rather than with the PDP. The unequivocal stand taken by the Congress to outrightly reject the PDP demand for demilitarization and self rule has carried a good message among the electorates in Jammu as well as among the nationalists in Kashmir and Ladakh. Coupled with this the good work done on the ground by Azad government, concentrating its all energies on development and giving clean administration, will stand the party in good stead, it is claimed. However these circles are awry of Congress High Command, who has only recently surrendered before the left parties, in the matter of Indo-US nuclear deal, to repeat the same story in J&K, which they claim will be detrimental for the party. |
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