Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 10: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today declared 2013 as “Year of Contact with Masses at Grass Root Level” for National Conference and asked all Ministers and Advisors of the ruling party to visit every nook and corner of the State and establish rapport with the people and party cadre.
With a view to show its strength not only in Kashmir but Jammu region also, the National Conference leadership today flexed its muscles and decided to launch preparations for `Mission 2014′ well in advance to beat its political opponents all across the State with Chief Minister and NC working president Omar Abdullah giving a clarion call to the party leadership to gear up for the upcoming elections to four seats of Legislative Council, Block Development Councils (BDCs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) besides Parliament and Assembly polls, which were due in 2014.
Reliable sources told the Excelsior that Omar Abdullah, who chaired one day Jammu provincial convention of the party at Sher-i-Kashmir Bhawan today, virtually sounded the bugle for Assembly elections 2014 by calling upon the party cadre including Ministers, Advisors and legislators to gear up for `Mission 2014′ when elections to the State Assembly and Parliament were due.
Omar directed all National Conference Minister and Advisors to visit each and every part of the State and maintain close coordination with party cadre and common man and redress their grievances. He also asked them to make the people aware of pro-people programmes and policies and welfare measures taken for the public by the Government.
To show its strength in Jammu region, the Chief Minister declared that the National Conference would hold a massive public rally at Parade Ground on December 16, which would be attended among others by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and other party veterans.
“We have the figures in our mind. It would be something that the NC’s political rivals would definitely get disturbed. We are going to hold show of strength in Jammu region and make our intentions clear that we have set off for Mission 2014”, sources said.
They added that NC’s December 16 rally would be a message to those political forces, which have been writing off the National Conference for 2014 elections especially in Jammu region.
Sources said the Chief Minister’s message to party Ministers and Advisors was loud and clear that while the work in the Civil Secretariat, the seat of the Government shouldn’t suffer, they should equally devote time to the people in all parts of the State to listen to their problems and solve them.
Worthwhile to mention here that strength of the National Conference was reduced in the Assembly to 6 from Jammu region in 2009 elections as compared to 8 in 2002. However, 15 candidates of the National Conference had finished runners-up in Jammu province with some of them losing by narrow margin.
The Assembly elections in the State were due in November-December 2014 as the new Government had to be in place before January 5, 2015. The Parliament elections were due in April-May 2014.
The NC leadership felt that 2014 would mostly pass in the elections and Model Code of Conduct with both Parliament and Assembly elections scheduled in that year. The ruling party, however, has no intentions to hold Assembly elections simultaneously with Parliament ahead of six months from the completion of Assembly’s term.
The J&K Assembly has a term of six years as against five years term of Parliament and other State Assemblies.
Today’s convention of the National Conference was attended by district and block presidents and secretaries, MLAs and MLCs, former MLAs and MLCs and all former Municipal Corporators and Councilors including the losing candidates of Municipalities of 2005 elections.
In addition to `Mission 2014′, the Chief Minister also asked the party cadre to brace up for the elections to four seats of Legislative Council from the quota of Panchayat members on December 3 and motivate Sarpanchs and Panchs, who comprised electoral college, to vote for Alliance candidates besides the polls to Urban Local Bodies and Block Development Councils, which were also scheduled to be held soon.
Sources said the National Conference this time intended to hold aggressive campaigning in Jammu region and win maximum Assembly seats. Similar would be the party strategy for Kashmir and Ladakh. The party planned to contest the next elections in coalition with the Congress. Union Minister and Congress leader Rajesh Pilot during his recent visit to Rajouri had announced that NC and Congress would jointly contest the next Assembly elections in the State.
Meanwhile, in his address to the party cadre during one day convention of Jammu province, Omar said that J&K National Conference represents aspirations of common people and its selfless service to the common man has always been above any consideration of creed, caste, colour, region or religion.
“History is the testimony of the secular-democratic credentials of National Conference and the sacrifices it has made to uphold the cause of communal harmony, brotherhood and amity are glaring”, he said asking the party workers to further strengthen this trait and work for welfare and progress of the State wholeheartedly.
Omar said that public support across the State has remained the fountain head of strength of National Conference. He said that National Conference symbolized unity and solidarity of the State and public service is its political agenda.
He added that J&K National Conference has always stood for secularism. “This characteristic of the party is amply visible in all areas of the State and the slogan of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh Ithad preached by Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah continuously reverberates across the mountains, valleys and planes of Jammu and Kashmir”, he maintained.
Omar asked the party workers to gear-up at all levels and griddle their loins to pave way for achieving the goal of economically self reliant, peaceful and progressive Jammu and Kashmir envisioned by the Sher-e-Kashmir and enshrined in ‘Naya Kashmir’ document of the party.
The Chief Minister emphasized on enhancing public rapport by the workers and told them to be actively involved in the implementation of development policy of the coalition Government. He told the party workers to be on their heels to visit all areas and ascertain public feedback regarding development process. He told them to prove an important catalyst in the redressal of public grievances and help in successful and time bound implementation of works.
Stating that party makes Government and Governments do not build parties, the working National President stressed on the rank and file of National Conference to strengthen the party all across the State and shatter the designs of their detractors by exhibiting unity and working for the upliftment of people tirelessly. He also told them to contribute positively in strengthening the coalition and helping the Government to fulfill its promises made to people of the State.
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