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| For how long will these blackouts stay? | | The inside story of Azad's sudden change of mind | | Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | July 7
Ghulam Nabi Azad decided to hang his boots after he learnt on Sunday evening tht the numbers were not in his favour.He had decided to quit on Sunday late evening when he came to know that the Congress high command's last minute bid to persuade the PDP patron, Mufti Mohd.Sayeed, to engineer a situation in which the 17 members of the PDP abstained from attending the Monday's Assembly session where Azad was to seek vote of confidence had failed.But like Vajpayee he decided to quit after making the legislators aware of the achievements of the Government.When he ended his long speech he did not wait for the response of the members but asked speaker Tara Chand the permission for withdrawing the motion seeking confidence of the House which had been tabled in the Assembly.
Inside reports said that a senior functionary of the central Government had,after a long search,succeeded in contacting Mufti Sayeed on telephone.The Mufti responded to the call from the hospital where he has been admitted.He is said to have politely informed the union Government functionary that it was too late for him to intervene.He also told the man on the other end of the phone that if the PDP stayed away from the Assembly it would not only be misconstrued by his political rivals but it could also adversely affect the electoral prospects of the PDP.
Another factor that forced Azad was his realisation that if he stuck to power by manipulating the number game peace in Jammu would be delayed.Those of the Congress leaders and legislators, belonging to Jammu region,were not happy with the decision of the Chief Minister for having revoked land diversion order.No doubt they had decided to vote in favour of the motion they were very angry with Azad.Azad had received the feedback that some Congress MLAs,hailing from the Jammu region,may either remain absent from the House or vote against the motion.Hence Azad favoured a safer route.
However,poltical analysts are of the opinion that had Azad resigned the day the PDP pulled out of the Government he would have been able to save the Congress in the Jammu region.Since the revocation of the order Jammu region has been swept by anti-Congress wave.And had Azad resigned before he could have saved himself from the condemnation he earned by having presided over the cabinet meeting which approved revocation of the land order.
Now that the Azad era is over it is not yet clear whether he has been able to strengthen the base of the Congress in the Kashmir valley where the post revocation of land order has seemingly encouraged the PDP and the National Conference to seek political mileage.Critics of Azad say that despite the fact that as Chief Minister he had been instrumental in getting series of development projects completed he has,advertently or inadvertently,presided over the burial of the Congress in the Jammu region.At the same time indications are that his resignation may change the mood of the people who do not find any alternative to the Congress in Jammu.Even if Azad is out of power political instablity and flux will continue till the new Government was established after the election. |
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