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| Cong-PDP closeness increasing NC's discomfort | | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Aug 7 : Much to the discomfort of National Conference (NC), Congress and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bonhomie is no secret now with leaders of both the parties calling each other natural allies.
If leaders of congress are to be believed, PDP is its natural ally since the clash of interests is minimal between the two. They say that PDP is Kashmir based and has focused all along on strengthening its cadre only across Kashmir valley while congress despite being a national party has won majority of its assembly and parliamentary seats from Jammu region.
Congress leaders do not hesitate in saying that they find being with PDP more comfortable than with National Conference (NC) where they have been playing second fiddle since the day coalition came into being. They say that PDP did not violate coalition dharma. "It stood where it was. PDP never crossed the dividing line. It allowed congress to strengthen party network across Jammu region and kept itself confined to valley alongwith certain parts of Rajouri-Poonch region," said a congress leader.
Congress worry is that National Conference (NC) on a comparative basis has a statewide presence and during the last two and a half years, NC has not only strengthened its position but even managed to make deep inroads into the constituencies presently held by its leaders. The party has been crying loudly at all platforms that NC is feeding its workers and fortifying the constituencies where its presence had almost secluded.
Congress does realize that if the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah does not demit office in December 2011, its party workers across the state would get demoralized. They have been pondering over it and hence, making all efforts to ensure that if NC does not vacate Chief Minister's chair, they would go to PDP, seek outside support from them and form the government for the next three years.
Congress realizes that PDP has not even once targeted its ministers in the ruling coalition and has been listening to New Delhi more than National Conference (NC) does. They have kept congress in good humor since day one and ensured that nothing is said which annoys New Delhi. They assert that barring PDP's vicious role during the Amarnath land row, following which it withdrew support from the then Ghulam Nabi Azad led coalition government, PDP has maintained discreet silence.
The party has been all along shown more animosity towards National Conference (NC) than towards congress. Interestingly, top leaders of the two parties have complimented each other in open. They have not kept love for PDP secret and instead, spoken it out whenever and wherever they have got a chance. M.L.Fotedar praised patron of PDP Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and referred Mufti's tenure as 'golden period of Jammu and Kashmir's state'. He also called Mufti better administrator than Omar.
Though PDP never praised congress directly but has been doing so obliquely. Official handout keep making mention of Congress-PDP coalition bonhomie and how that period better than the present. Opinion makers have kept their fingers crossed and are waiting for the D-day i.e. January 2012 when Congress would have take a decision. Omar Abdullah, who reaches halfway mark of his tenure in January 2012, has clearly said that he will finish his full 6 year term-which was the agreement with central leadership. But the Congress workers have been demanding rotation of Chief Minister's post in Jammu and Kashmir. Senior congress leaders have assured workers that the Congress' interests would not be compromised.
NC has made it clear that in no case would it demit the office and if it is forced to do, it would prefer to withdraw support from the coalition government. Congress knows the game and has for this reason begun getting closer to PDP. |
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