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| Carrying the burden of PDP liability will prove costly for Congress | | | Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | Nov 22
The resolution adopted by the All India Congress Committee in its session in New Delhi on continuance of its alliance with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, to lost beyond the present term of the state assembly, conveying an impression of the two parties fighting the next assembly elections jointly, has not gone well with the majority of Congress leaders in the middle rung and the worker at large in the state. The Congress activists, particularly in Jammu region, where the party has a strong base, are unhappy with the development, which makes the party to carry the liability of PDP on its shoulders and share blame for PDP's pro militants, pro secessionists and anti Jammu policies and programs.
The common Congress worker feels that the electoral alliance with the PDP, projecting the Congress to form next government in the state in coalition with the PDP will only mar its chances to win overwhelming majority of seats in the region and will make it vulnerable to the attack by the BJP, JKNPP and other pro Jammu organizations of the party sharing the perceptions and line of action as well as priorities advocated by the PDP, which are not to the liking of the people of Jammu at large.
The continuous alliance of Congress with the PDP will also make it more vulnerable to the attacks by the present main opposition in the state, the National Conference. The BSP too will adopt the strategy of hostility towards the Congress, due to party's antipathy for PDP. The continuous harping by the PDP on the tune of demilitarization, despite the same having proved impracticable and unfeasible in the light of fresh spate of militancy in the state particularly in the valley. Besides half a dozen deadly encounters between the security forces and militants, taking a toll of about a dozen security personnel, including officers and about three dozen militants, besides killing of a NC member of Srinagar Municipal Corporation and lately of a PDP worker in the valley, makes the demand for demilitarization or even reduction in the security forces in the state totally irrelevant and off the mark. The Congress being an ally of PDP, sharing power with it presently and fighting next assembly elections in alliance with PDP, with conveying the message of two parties forming the next government in the state together, will only put the Congress in defensive about these irrational and impracticable demands of the PDP, which are termed as against the national interest by the people at large in Jammu region. While Congress shall also have to leave some seats from Jammu for the PDP, including a few in Hindu majority areas, as the party will be hard pressed by some long time active leaders of the party from this area, for being accommodated, the same will be at the net loss of the congress.
The general assessment has been that as the things stand today, if the Congress fights next elections to the state assembly on its own, openly advocating pro Jammu and pro nationalist policies and put the PDP in wrong and sharply criticize it for its anti Jammu and anti nationalist policies, Congress can much improve its present tally in the state assembly from Jammu.
As far Kashmir valley is concerned, the Congress will hardly gain by fighting elections in alliance with the PDP, while PDP may be a little gainer, by claiming that the party has successfully convinced the central leadership of the Congress and the central government about the advisability of its stand on demilitarization and withdrawal of AFSPA, the proof of which it will cite the Congress high command's decision to continue alliance with PDP. Fighting elections in alliance with PDP, the Congress would not be able to afford sharply criticizing the demand for demilitarization and other policies and program of action, perceived by the people of Jammu as against the interest of the country and pro secessionist. With two parties fighting the elections together and projecting to be forming the next government jointly, advocacy of divergent views on issues of vital national interest, as well as of the interest of people of different regions will only erode their credibility, with the electorates not taking them seriously. Further the present uneasy alliance with the two parties pulling in different direction and working at cross purpose at present, with daily war of words and maneuvers and counter maneuvers to put each other in wrong and run down in the public, has not gone well with the people at large. Any possibility of the two warring parties forming the next government also in coalition will not be digested with the people at large. In nutshell carrying the burden of PDP liability over its shoulders will only harm the prospects of Congress. |
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