Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 29: National Conference president, Dr Farooq Abdullah, today said that the party will not retain all its sitting Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) for the forthcoming Assembly elections and hinted at major restructuring of the party.
Addressing a convention of the NC youth activists at Nawai Subh office in Srinagar today, Abdullah said: “We will introspect what our MLAs and Ministers have done over these years. I want to make it clear that NC will not retain all these MLAs in the Assembly polls. I will go to every constituency and hold meetings there with party supporters and then it will be decided to whom people support and mandate will be given accordingly.”
The NC president said there will be a major re-structuring of the party ahead of Assembly elections. “We have to re-organise the party to make it prepare for the Assembly elections. Don’t be scared by the recent defeat as it was a litmus test for us,” he told the gathering.
Abdullah advised the youth to visit party offices with their issues and bring them to the notice of the party leadership. He also said that introspection would be done in each Assembly constituency.
The NC president told the meeting that old faces of the party have been sidelined over the years. “Unfortunately I was in New Delhi for five-years and was not aware what had happened here. Old faces of the party were also sidelined”, he added.
Abdullah told the meeting that though it is good that young people have taken important positions in the party but at the same time old guard must not be sidelined and their advice be taken from time to time.
“Don’t lose your heart but be prepared to face the storm. We have to reinvent ourselves. NC had stood against bombs and guns in early 90’s to stop the bloodshed in the State. Where were BJP and the PDP then?” asked the NC president.
Abdullah told the meeting that the NC leaders and workers should feel happy at the defeat of its candidates in the Parliamentary elections and it has given a wakeup call to the party. “We should thankful to God that we lost the elections, otherwise the party would have been completely decimated,” he said.
The NC president blamed the lack of discipline among party leaders and workers and disconnect between the party and the people as the main reason for the defeat in the polls.
Abdullah told the NC youth activists that there is disconnect between the people and the party members. He said the party is not run from the comfort of homes and the leaders have to connect with the people and listen to them.
The NC president asked the party youth to shun the path of grudge and work for the betterment and strengthening of the party. “We have lost the path and are searching it. Don’t defame party leaders and stop disliking to each other. We have many enemies who take advantage of such lacunas in the party,” he told the party youth.
Abdullah said that the NC is the people’s party, which offered great sacrifices for the party. “Don’t keep it in mind that NC has elected Salman Sargar or Speaker’s son for any post but work for the revival of the party and introspect yourself”, he told the party youth.
The NC president said the party’s apprehensions about the BJP-led NDA Government working towards abrogation of Article 370 have come true. He said he had apprehensions that if BJP came to power, it will work towards abrogation of Article 370 and had warned people of the BJP’s designs.
Abdullah while speaking to the reporters on the sidelines of the youth convention said that no decision on an alliance with its coalition partner, Congress has been taken yet. “We have not taken any decision on alliance with Congress party. When time will come we will take the decision”, he added.
The former Union Minister advocated for the general Amnesty to the youth in Kashmir who have been booked on charges of stone pelting in various Police Stations for past few years. “The general amnesty of the stone pelters would be looked into”, he said.
“What are the problems faced by the youth and what are their demands. How we can reconnect the senior leaders with the youth? Youth have passion and we have to honour their passion”, said Abdullah.
Amid the raging controversy over Smriti Irani being made the Union HRD Minister, Abdullah said it was the prerogative of the Prime Minister to name anyone as a Minister.
“To say a person is qualified or not, I do not want to get into that. He (Prime Minister) has made them Ministers and we hope they will do their job in the best way to serve the people,” Abdullah said.
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