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| Political commitments can be changeable | | | Both the National Conference President,Dr Farooq Abdullah,and Chief Minister,Omar Abdullah,have ruled out the possibility of change in the guard in Jammu and Kashmir on the plea that the vote against rotational chief ministers had been cast at the time of the formation of the Government
in 2008.The two leaders stated that the Congress high command had accepted "our plea" that the Chief Minister from National Conference be allowed to continue for full term of six years.This claim seems to have ended speculation about possible change in the guard after some Congress leaders
belonging to the state had been demanding reintroduction of rotational Chief Ministership.Well there is nothing permanent in a political arrangement and if the situation warranted the Congress high command may force the National Conference to accept a congress leader as Chief Minister for the remaining three years.Yes,there was such a possibility between June and September when the civilian strife in the Kashmir valley,which left 111 civilians dead,had assumed alarming dimensions.By the middle of July the central Government in general and the Congress high command in particular had given three months period for Omar to ensure resolution of the Kashmir crisis failing which either Dr Farooq or some Congress leader would have been installed as the Chief Minister.In that case there
was no room for the Congress high command to stand by its commitment of allowing Omar Abdullah to continue as Chief Minister for a full term of six years.
There is ,indeed,no harm in experimenting with the rotational chief Ministership.But the events that shaped in Jammu and Kashmir after 2005 following the change in the guard have amply demonstrated that at times the experiment could prove counterproductive as was the case
when Mufti Mohd.Sayeed was replaced by Ghulam Nabi Azad as Chief Minister.The change had been done under the agreement that had been reached between the Congress and the PDP in
2002.Political analysts are of the opinion that had not the Mufti been replaced by Azad the PDP would have not raked up major controversy over the diversion of land to the
Amarnath Shrine Board for raising temporary facilities at Baltal for pilgrims to the holy mountain cave.In fact the three-year rule of the Mufti is considered the most glorious period in Jammu and Kashmir since 1983.With the change of guard the PDP,even when it continued to share power with the
Congress, preferred to act more as an opposition party than a partner in the ruling coalition.It
was so because during the time Mufi Sayeed was the Chief Minister he consulted the Congress on all issues and succeeded in forging a purposeful and cordial ties with the state unit of the Congress and the Congress high command.The moment Ghulam Nabi Azad tookover as the Chief Minister he
adopted a big-brother attitude towards the PDP and at no stage bothered to take the Mufti into confidence.Most of the important decision that Azad took had no prior PDP approval
or consent.
Why a section in the state unit of the Congress is demanding installing chief ministers under the
process of rotation?Possibly neither Dr Farooq Abdullah nor Omar Abdullah has bothered to examine reasons that have prompted some congress leaders to demand that a party leader
be installed as Chief Minister for the remaining three years.Inside reports say that two factors are responsible for the Congress to demand rotational chief ministership.First,the Congress leaders,including the ministers,believe that the National Conference leadership,especially the Chief Minister,has been taking the Congress either for granted or for a ride while taking
decicions on important issues.The Congress leaders are upset over the inability of the Chief Minister in augmenting the development activities in the state with the result number of development projects in the state and the central sectors had not been completed within the stipulated period.Secondly,the
Chief Minister's remarks on the state's accession with India,saying that the state had not merged with India,had caused a major dent in the Congress strength in the Jammu region.Whatever level of strength the Congress enjoyed in the Jammu started suffering erosion when Omar Abdullah was
being blamed for his failure in ending prolonged discrimination of people of the region of Jammu.Even if
Father Abdullah and son Omar find fissures between the National Conference and the Congress merely wishful thinking of the media they are mistaken.There is no doubt about the displeasure on the part of the leaders of the state unit of the Congress against the National Conference.Yes,Omar or Farooq can speak against rotational Chief ministership only when Omar can show results.But if
Omar spends his time and energy on punishing one or the other Jammu based newspaper the Congress high command may revise its commitment.(
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