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| Has Azad outlived utility to party? | | Reported decision to appoint Soz as Pradesh Congress President, brings factionalism to fore | | News Analysis
Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | Jan 27
The reported, but unconfirmed decision by the Central Congress High Command, precisely party President Sonia Gandhi to appoint Union Cabinet Minister for Water Resources, Saif-ud-Din Soz as President of J&K Pradesh Congress Committee, is virtual censure of State Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. If it is really so, obviously the detractors of Azad in New Delhi have succeeded in prevailing upon Madam Gandhi to clip the wings of Azad and cut him to size, by creating a parallel power centers in the J&K Pradesh Congress. The development has already brought to fore sharp divide and signs of factionalism in the Pradesh Congress Committee as well as among the central leaders of the party between pro Azad and anti Azad elements. The lobbying by pro Azad Congress activists in the state as well as a section of leaders in the centre, who are favourably inclined towards Azad has perhaps failed to check parallel power centre being created in the J&K Congress, if the party high command has really turned down the proposal to make Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad as the part President also or appoint a person of his choice at the post.
Saif-ud-Din Soz as a Union Cabinet Minister, remaining always close to the corridors of power in the centre, will carry more weight as compared to the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Any other person as President of the Pradesh Congress Committee had to play second fiddle to the Chief Minister who was believed to enjoy the confidence of the All India Party President as well as of Prime Minister. But this will not be the case with Soz as President of Pradesh Congress, since he too has equal clout and pull with the party high command. Although, it is stated that Ghulam Nabi Azad who was in Delhi, was taken into confidence and briefed about the decision to appoint Soz as Pradesh President, but sources close to Azad contend that Azad was presented with a fait accompli.
There is a strong feeling in a section of the Central Congress leaders, some of whom are very close to Madam Gandhi that Ghulam Nabi Azad who had started with a bang as the Chief Minister of the state little over two years ago has ended up with whimper. His claim of crusade against corruption and introduction of work culture as well as pushing up of pace of development in the state, has backfired, with a good number of his ministers embroiled in controversy over corruption. The circles friendly to the PDP, precisely the former J&K Chief Minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, too are believed to have played their role in cutting Azad to size. A feeling has been given currency that Azad has out lived his utility for the party in J&K and that under his exclusive leadership and by projecting him as the next Chief Minister again, the party cannot expect to give good performance and improve upon its present strength in the state assembly, in the next elections. Earlier, in 2005 as well there was a strong lobby in the central leadership of the Congress, who canvassed for Soz to be tipped as Chief Minister of J&K, instead of Azad. But finally the matter was clinched in favour of Azad.
However some ardent supporters of Azad particularly the party leaders in Jammu contend that the party high command including Sonia Gandhi have been misguided and ill advised by detractors of Azad in the Congress, in cutting Azad to size, by creating a parallel power centre in the Pradesh Congress. There is also a feeling in some circles opposed to Azad that in 2002 assembly elections Congress could give a good performance by winning 15 seats in Jammu region alone, besides 5 in Kashmir valley, by giving the slogan of giving the state Chief Minister belonging to Jammu region for the first time, by projecting Azad as the party candidate for Chief Ministership. But since there is general feeling of disillusion in Jammu region as well with the Congress, since Azad has not come up to the expectations of people at large in Jammu, he is no more a salable commodity with the electorates in Jammu region. There is every likelihood of Congress projecting Soz as its nominee for the post of Chief Minister, after next assembly elections, to avoid the negative fallout of incumbency factor, with Azad at the helm of affairs and there being general discontent against the Congress in the state. By presenting a new face before the electorates, in Soz, who is not involved in any controversy and whose track record as a politician is claimed to be unblemished, the party can once again lure the people with a new slogan and showing them new pastures, it is argued. However there is wide spread disappointment and resentment among Congress activists in Jammu region, who argue that the opposition groups standing for the urges and aspirations of Jammu region will exploit this development and put the Congress in defensive by citing that down grading of Azad is in a way acceptance on the part of the party that they have failed to come up to the expectations of the people of Jammu. It will also create an impression among the people at large in Jammu that under Congress Jammu has always to play a second fiddle to Kashmir and it are the people of Kashmir valley to appease whom Congress cab go to any length while it cares least for the psyche for Jammuites. |
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