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| Azad meets Sonia, PDP drags feet | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Oct 20
Even though the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has dashed to New Delhi for holding consultations with the central leaders including the Congress president Sonia Gandhi in wake fresh threat from Peoples Democratic Party to pull out of the coalition government but there does not seem any imminent threat to the government as none of the parties appear in a position to afford the fall.
As Peoples Democratic Party upped its ante signaling walk out from the government, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is off to Delhi on a five day tour to confer with the party leaders about the emerging situation.
In this connection Azad met Sonia Gandhi in Delhi this evening and briefed her about the latest political developments. The meeting lasted for an hour. Though what transpired in the meeting could not be known but an official spokesman claimed that the Congress president extended support to the policies pursued by Azad.
Political observers watching the situation are however of the opinion that neither PDP is in a position to pull out of the government and nor is Congress able to afford such a move. Both parties are yet to consolidate their base and a fall of government at this juncture may prove counterproductive for the both, feel the observers.
In such a situation, both parties will be directly helping the National Conference which stands at an advantageous position to draw dividends of the PDP-Congress rift. The National Conference has seen making desperate attempts to take advantage of the situation but a complete range of disarray within the party has so far not yielded any thing.
Observers are of the opinion that the latest spanner from the PDP may be a message from the party leadership to the Congress high command that they are being denied due space but the party is not in a position to pull out at this stage. "Had they pulled out in March-April this year on the issue of demilitarization, one could have expected an emotional wave of sympathy at least in Kashmir Valley", said a senior journalist. He added, "This time there is no justifiable reason for the PDP to pull out".
When asked that Mufti Sayeed has cited the reasons of dithering of the government from Common Minimum Program promises which may make a valid point for PDP to pull out, a political observer said, "this is ridiculous". He went on to say, "how can Mufti put entire blame on the Chief Minister or the Congress, he has his ministers in the government and why don't they take charge of the things?"
Meanwhile it is learnt that the top PDP leaders may have been issuing statements of annoyance for the purpose of public consumption but none of them, at least not the ministers, are in any mood to withdraw support from the government.
The opinion within the PDP is divided over any plan of the PDP to withdraw support to the Congress. Those who oppose it include a former Deputy Chief Minister, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Ghulam Hassan Mir and two cabinet ministers. Mr Baig has cautioned the PDP leadership against snapping ties with the Congress on the plea that it would weaken the party and help its rivals. Ghulam Hassan Mir also is not in favour of pulling out of the Government. He said that whatever the party leadership has said about the Congress led Government it was part of the PDP strategy to force the Chief Minister to take steps for improving the performance of the Government.
Mir said there was no possibility of early poll because it was too early for the PDP to think of withdrawing support to the Government.
One senior PDP leader said that party leaders may have different perception but instead of airing them publicly they should raise such matters in the party forum. He said there were no serious ideological differences between the PDP and the Congress."It was merely a clash of ego,"he said adding that it would be in the interest of the coalition Government if the Chief Minister took the PDP leadership and the ministers into confidence while taking some important or less important decisions. |
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