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| Azad’s ministry expansion | | "Daer Aaye - (not) Darusat Aaye" (Jashn-e-Jammu backfires) | |
By: Yash Bhasin
The famous Hindustani saying "Daer Aaye - Darusat Aaye " has not proved true in the case of over delayed and much awaited expansion of Ghulam Nabi Azad ministry. Coming as it does ten months after the formation of Azad government, with swearing in of twelve ministers besides the Chief Minister, on November 2 last, the induction of nine new legislators in the ministry, on August 29, with two cabinets ministers
and seven ministers of State and elevation of one MoS to the cabinet rank, instead of bringing cheers on the faces of Congress leaders and those of smaller allies in the ruling coalition, including the aspirants for their induction as well as their supporters are left sulking.
The PDP alone has the reason to rejoice over garnering the lion's share in the expansion, with one cabinet minister and four ministers of State, in its kitty out of the nine new entrants. Further its hegemony over Kashmir valley among the coalition partners has been
further strengthened with adding one more cabinet rank minister to its earlier strength of four and three new MoS, thus raising the parties quota of ministers from the valley to eight, out of sixteen party MLAs. It has also succeeded in establishing its existence in Jammu region, from where it had drawn blank in the 2002 assembly elections.
Its only MLA from Jammu region, Manjeet Singh, who defected from BSP to PDP to be inducted in Mufti Sayeed government, had got re-entry into the Azad Council of Ministers. Against this Congress has only two ministers of cabinet rank from Kashmir valley. No new Congress member from Kashmir valley has been indicted into the ministry, leaving the senior Congress leader from Bharamulla district, Mr. Vakil, an ardent supporter of Azad and strong advocate of strengthening Congress in the Valley, not allowing the political space exclusively for PDP, sulking.
He was a strong contender for a berth in the cabinet.
The expansion has left many Congress aspirants from Jammu also unhappy. They are giving went to their hurt and anger, though in a muffled voice and indirectly. The supporters of Raman Bhalla, who is
claimed to have worked hard in strengthening the Congress base not only in his own constituency of Jammu cantonment, but in the city as a whole and even in the rural areas in the Jammu district, have
protested loudly over his non induction. Similarly the supporters of Ashok Sharma MLC, in Kalakote have come out in the streets voicing their resentment over Sharma's exclusion.
While some districts and castes in Jammu have got over representation in the ministry, some others have been totally ignored. Jammu district which returned eight Congress nominees out of 13 seats in the Assembly, in 2002 and which had 5 ministers in the Mufti government, has only one, Mangat Ram Sharma in the Azad government. Against this, to be newly carved of district Raisi has got two ministers, one of cabinet rank and one MoS out of three seats which are likely to come in the district when it is formed. The third seat is represented by NC.
The independents who had become associated members of Congress and were highly vocal to replace Mufti by Azad in 2004, too expressed their displeasure, with one of them Dr. Manohar Lal from Bhilawar immediately disassociating himself from the Congress and withdrawing support to the Azad government. PDF, another coalition partner two is left high and dry in the expansion. However the loose knit front of
some MLAs returned as independents in 2002, has lately been disintegrated and hence can hardly pose any threat to Azad government.
The glaring neglect has been those of the scheduled castes and the woman, who find no representation in the ministry. The only elected woman Congress MLA Suman Bhagat, who also belongs to the scheduled caste and was elected from R.S. Pura reserves constituency, too has been giving went to her displayer, though still hoping to find place in the near future expansion, with three seats still left to be filled.
So far as caste factor among Hindus is concerned which has unfortunately lately assumed electoral importance in the region, Brahmans and Rajputs alone find place in the Azad ministry. The other two dominant castes, besides the scheduled caste, viz Mahajans and Khatris have been totally ignored. KPs too have the reason to fume.
But with its only elected representative in the assembly, Raman Mattoo in jail, in the sex Scandal case, the nominated woman MLA from the community, belonging to Congress, Khem lata Wakhloo was also hot contender for the cabinet berth.
Jashan-e-Jammu celebration by Bhim Singh backfires
The more pronounced is the case of Panthers party whose celebration of Jashan-e-Jammu, just on the eve of ministry expansion, inviting Ghulam Nabi Azad as the Chief guest, with Bhim Singh showering all praises on him for announcing four more districts for Jammu region and appointment of fresh delimitation commission, avowedly aimed at mending fences with the Chief Minister and the ruling coalition, with an eye on cabinet berth for the party in the expansion, has been shown its place by Azad. If Bhim Singh had tried to placate Mr. Azad, after burning boats with the ruling coalition in the past, in order to find favour with him, Azad has proved more smart and outmaneuvered Mr. Singh. Azad has conveyed the clear message to Bhim Singh that his running with the hare and hunting with the hound cannot always pay.
Prof Bhim Singh shall have to give more convincing proof to Azad about his sincerity of the rhetoric displayed by him in Jashan-e-Jammu and that the Panthers chief cannot eat the cake and have it too, to which privilege he was used to in the past. In the process Bhim Singh has further eroded his and his party's credibility in the public in Jammu, while he has been shown thumb by Azad. Thus his position has been of "Na Khuda Hie Mila—Na Wisale Sanam." However another possible reason for non-induction of any Panther MLA in the cabinet could be disagreement in the party over the nominee to be got included in the cabinet. While the former minister in Mufti government, Harsh Dev was keen for himself, Balvant Singh Mankhotia, MLA from Udampur was equally strong contender, though there were also reports of Bhim Singh desirous for his own self. Although now Bhim Singh and Harsh Dev have shown the bold face in the public by observing that they do not run after the ministerial berth, but their disappointment is writ large and discernible in their reactions.
Further having already inducted two members from the Rajput community in his ministry, Azad could hardly afford any more from the community, with all the three contenders from Panthers belonging to the Rajput community, while the two party MLAs belonging to the Scheduled caste were not in the running in the present expansion. However the edge of Prof Bhim Singh's nuisance value against the Azad government has been sharpened, with the Panthers left on prowl.
To ward off any major trouble and dissensions in the Congress and the small coalition partners, Ghulam Nabi Azad has kept three ministerial berths still unfilled, with the strength of ministry not to exceed 25, in keeping with the latest enactment, keeping the proverbial carrot dangling on the noses of he donkeys to make them behave. He has given an hint of another minor expansion soon, to keep the hope alive in the aspirants.
Coming to the positive side of the development, Azad could perhaps not do a better balancing act, under the given circumstances. All sections, castes and areas could not be accommodated. By keeping PDP in good humour, Azad has given ample hint of Congress—PDP coalition to last long and the alliance to work even in the next elections.
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