Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, July 13: Keeping aside all the differences and rising above any factionalism within the party, the Congress will put up united face in Jammu and Kashmir and former J&K Chief Minister and senior AICC leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad will lead the party from the front in the coming Assembly elections in the UT.
This was unanimously resolved in a meeting of the senior party leaders from J&K held at New Delhi today in presence of AICC general secretary, KC Venugopal, senior AICC leaders Ambika Soni and Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Venugopal, who was representing party president Sonia Gandhi in the meeting, stressed the need to put up a united face in the faction-ridden Congress in Jammu and Kashmir. He said if the party really wants to perform well in the forthcoming Assembly elections, then all the leaders setting aside their differences, if any, must put up a united face and contest elections with full strength. This way, they will be able to give tough fight to the opponents, otherwise, the party may face debacle, he asserted.
AICC general secretary, who was accompanied by Ambika Soni, a close associate of AICC president Sonia Gandhi, further asked the party cadre in J&K to render all support to Ghulam Nabi Azad, who may lead the party in the coming elections. He said if party manages good number of seats, it will be able to form next Government in alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.
Ambika Soni, while addressing J&K leaders said she was associated with Jammu and Kashmir for the last about 20 years. Soni also stressed for united face of the party in J&K and said there was lot of hope to the party high command from J&K cadre. It is certain, if they waged a united fight, the party will be able to form next Government in J&K in alliance. She hoped the J&K party cadre would provide a ‘surprise gift’ to her after next elections.
Both the leaders also advised the JKPCC leaders to unitedly fight the anti-people and anti- youth policies of the ruling BJP and defeat their divisive agenda in Jammu and Kashmir. They asked them to strengthen the party and gear up their activities keeping an eye on the forthcoming Assembly elections.
They asked the party leaders to concentrate in their respective areas and be amongst the people to highlight their problems. They appreciated the party leaders and cadres for their struggle and commitment to fight against the communal and divisive forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
Azad, in his brief address, assured the party cadre to gear up party activities from July 20 onwards in J&K and said he will cover every nook and corner of J&K during his campaign. Azad said he had the capacity to address at least 15 public meetings a day and after improvement in his health now, he was fully charged and feeling energetic to take up this responsibility to lead party campaign in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the party would decide later whether it would contest at its own or in alliance with any other like minded party. He asked the party cadre to reach out to the people and project their issues.
Azad told the party leaders in J&K that he had recommended four names for the post of new president and now it is up to the party high command to take a decision about the new face.
The AICC leadership also held discussion with top J&K leadership about current political situation in J&K and the election preparedness. K C Venugopal and Ambika Soni during interactions with the leadership from J&K discussed the current political situation in Jammu and Kashmir besides election preparedness.
Amidst meeting, JKPCC vice president, G M Saroori stood up and openly opposed the candidature of Vikar Rasool and said he being most junior will not be acceptable to him and many other senior leaders. He also alleged that some people within the cadre were trying to defame him by projecting that he was joining some other party which is totally baseless and a malicious propaganda just to block his candidature. He also referred to the events how he was dropped as minister hardly staying just for one and half years, after a conspiracy against him.
AICC Incharge J&K affairs Rajni Patil could not attend today’s deliberations as she was ailing.
The two days deliberations concentrated over the organisational affairs of the party besides the overall political situation including the preparedness and scenario about the forthcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
The individual meetings of J&K leaders with KC Venugopal also continued for the second day today, with one to one meetings with the senior leaders of Jammu and Kashmir.
Later, several leaders shared their inputs and views with the leadership in the separate meetings already fixed.
Those who attended the joint meeting include GA Mir, Raman Bhalla, ex-Dy CM Tara Chand, ex-MP Tariq Karra, Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, Taj Mohiuddin, Mula Ram, GM Saroori, G N Monga, Haji Abdul Rasheed, Yogesh Sawhney, Th Balwan Singh, Jugal Kishore, Neeraj Kundan, Vikar Rasool, Ravinder Sharma, Jahangeer Mir, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, Th Balbir Singh, Gulzar Ahmed Wani and Amin Bhat.
Those who met Venugopal separately at the sidelines of the meeting at Congress War Room at 15, Gurudwara Raqabganj Road, in Delhi included- G A Mir, Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, Taj Mohiuddin, Ghulam Nabi Monga, Abdul Hamid Karra, Abdul Majid Wani, Viqar Rasool and Jehangir Mir.
Four leaders, including G M Saroori, Haji Abdul Rashid, Gulzar Wani and Amin Bhat met in a group to AICC general secretary and held long discussion.
The party sources said that name of the new JKPCC president is likely to be announced after Sunday, as the AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi was abroad and is likely to return on coming Sunday.
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