Is Cong eyeing mid-term change of power in J&K?
SYED ALI SAFVI
SRINAGAR, Oct 7: Ever since National Conference-Congress coalition took the reins of the government in the state, the coalition functioning has been marred by recurrent tussle between the two historically estranged parties.
The Omar Abdullah led coalition government started on a rather uneasy note as the two partied found it tough to sit together to chalk out a common minimum programme (CMP), outlining the goals of the coalition.
The 32-month-old coalition has witnessed the two parties more often locking horns with each other on a range of issues including the mid-term change of guard in the state.
As the Omar Abdullah-led government is nearing three years, the ghost of rotational chief ministerialship has begun to haunt corridors of power once again.
The issue assumes greater significance in the backdrop of Congress workers’ common complaint against “deep-rooted corruption” and “mis-governance” in the state. They also blamed the government for not treating Congress workers at par with NC workers.
The complaint was also endorsed by State Congress chief, Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz, who admitted that Congress workers have grievances against the NC-led coalition government.
“Government seems to be functioning only on papers. State Congress unit is losing its credibility at the cost of misdeeds of National Conference,” president J&K Pradesh Youth Congress, Shoaib Lone said. Enough is enough! It’s high time that Congress takes the reins of the government in its hands.”
Lone said that the constituencies of Congress MLAs have been ignored by the NC led government.
“Direct recruitments by police were done in only three constituencies in the state and all the three constituencies were won by NC party,” he said.
The fate of R&B portfolio, which still lies vacant, can serve as the classical example of coalition (mis)functioning.
The Congress high command had asked then R&B minister, GM Saroori, to step down on August 25 last year following the alleged impersonation of his daughter in entrance examination.
Ever since, the portfolio lies vacant. Thirteen months on, the Congress is yet to decide on Saroori’s successor. The portfolio is presently lying with the chief minister.
A senior state Congress leader said that the party workers were not satisfied with the party’s coalition partner.
“There are genuine development grievances. Even NREGA, IAY are not been properly distributed,” he said.
Amidst all the squabbling and blaming, the state Congress workers of all the three regions have upped the demand for change of guard in the state “just as was done in case of erstwhile PDP-Congress coalition”.
Unlike 2010, the mood at 10 Janpath seems to have changed. This can be gauged from the response of Congress general secretary, Rahul Gandhi, when he was asked about the issue of rotational chief ministerialship.
Not ruling out the possibility of change of guard in the state, Rahul said, “It (rotational of chief minister) is to be decided by the party high command.”
Pertinently, the Gandhi scion had come out in all out support for the beleaguered Abdullah scion when the valley was reeling under unprecedented civil unrest last year and thus punctured a campaign to replace Omar Abdullah.
“The common demand put forth by people, mostly youth, in all the three regions Rahul Ji visited was about the rotation of chief minister,” said another senior leader of J&K Pradesh Youth Congress (PYC).
He said that the at Young Panch Sarpanch convention, one of the Panchs told Rahul Gandhi that the state government had done its best “to sabotage the convention”.
“He told Rahul Ji that despite knowing the state Congress has organised a convention for recently elected Panchs and Sarpanchs, the state government also has organised a parallel meet for Panchs and Sarpanchs on the same day,” he said.
Rahul Ganhdi, who is considered to be a close friend of junior Abdullah, curiously, declined the latter’s dinner invitation during his two-day visit to the state. Rahul also refused to avail state’s hospitality. Moreover, when Rahul arrived in Srinagar, Omar was holidaying in Singapore.
For Omar Abdullah, nothing seems to be going right. From his personal life to public life, he is dogged by controversies. The ship of Omar Abdullah government already finds itself in troubled waters. If the issue of recovery of unnamed graves was not enough, the government has landed itself into yet another controversy over the alleged custodial death of ruling NC worker.
The opposition has upped the ante against the government with state’s principal opposition party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) demanding resignation of Omar Abdullah, NC president, Farooq Abdullah, and MoS Home, Nasir Aslam Wani.
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