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| PDP and Congress not keen on forging pre-poll alliance | | | Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | May 18
Though in the meeting of its political Affairs Committee(PAC) in Srinagar on Saturday the PDP did not discuss the issue pertaining to the pre-poll alliance with the Congress, indications are that the majority of senior party leaders are in
favour of contesting the ensuing Assembly election alone. In fact these PDP leaders do not seem to be as much bitter about the Congress as a party as they are about the role being played by Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who, they claim has been egging not oly his party colleague, Abdul Gani Vakil, Minister for Social Welfare, but also the Transport Minister, Hakim Mohd.Yasin, for launching a tirade against the Muftis.
A senior PDP leader, who was present in the PAC meeting said that the issue of PDP contesting the election in alliance with the Congress did not come for discussion.He, however, indicated that there are a number of practical difficulties for the PDP to go to the poll front in alliance with the Congress. He listed several factors which favour PDP for going alone in the election. He admitted that first of all there is a conflict between the PDP ideology, which includes self-rule, dual currency, and demilitarisation, open borders, and the one being pursued by the Congress. When asked why then the PDP agreed to share power with the Congress he said that "we wanted to show to people and
the centre that the PDP-Congress coalition rule is a sound political arrangement".Also"we wanted to keep the National Conference, which has been keen to forge alliance with the Congress, away from power"
The PDP leader said that this arrangement has worked well and the alliance will continue till the election schedule was annouced.He said that the Chief Minister himself was not interested in going to the polls in alliance with the PDP. It was because Prime
Minister,Dr Manmohan Singh,and the UPA chairperson, Ms Sonia Gandhi, that Ghulam Nabi Azad could not unseat the PDP by forging alliance with the National
Conference.
Another PDP leader said that though the matter was to be finalised by the Muftis and the Congress high command, the PDP believes that alliance with the Congress, during election, could prove constly for the PDP.It would not like to have understanding and
electoral agrrement with the Congress which is torn by groupism and by the under currents of tussle between Azad and Prof. Soz.The PDP leaders treat the Congress
a red rag to the bull in the Kashmir valley despite I ts capability of having won five seats in 2002 poll. Yes, the PDP could consider maintaining alliance with the Congress during the election also if the former was allowed to field its candidates in at least 40 of the 46 constituencies in the Kashmir valley and leave five constituencies for the PDP to contest in the Jammu region.Yes, the pre-poll alliance between the two can be sustainable if the Congress keeps mum on the PDP's slogan of self-rule,dual currency and
demilitarisation.
Indications from the Congress camp reveal that neither the state unit of the congress nor the party high command are prepared to leave the field in Kashmir open for the PDP.During its campaign it has to speak against demilitarisation,dual currency and other
issues raked by the PDP because opposition to such slogans could be helpful for the Congress which has a strong base in the Jammu region from where it won 16
seats in 2002 election. Poll analysts have different perception of the issue. Those who favour Congress and the PDP to go to the polls jointly argue that this would prevent split
in the pro-ruling establishment. Explaining it they say that in a situation where the Congress and the PDP agree to field common candidates it would ensure that
Pro-Congress and pro- PDP voters will support the common candidates thereby preventing split in votes. They opine that once voters vote in favour of the congress and the PDP in each constituency it would benefit the National Conference. Those who are opposed to it say that in 2002 poll the Congress and the PDP did contest separately still
the two were able to share power. They said that the National conference has its vote bank and the pro-establishment votes cannot face any split if the PDP Congress fight separately. By fighting separately the PDP may be able to improve its seat share and the
same can be the case for the Congress. |
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