Cong rules out any alliance in J&K, calls for fresh polls
No party is in position to form government in the state, says JKPCC chief GA Mir after Congress leaders' closeddoor meeting at Srinagar hotel
Congress ruled out an alliance with any party or group to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir as it called for an end to governor’s rule by holding fresh polls in the state.
“As far as the position of the House (assembly) is concerned, Congress does not have any plans (to form government) and the party leaders have also conveyed that to governor NN Vohra that no party is in position to form the government in the state,” J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president GA Mir said.
Congress legislators and its senior members held a closeddoor meeting in one of the city’s posh hotels in Srinagar on Tuesday. The meet was chaired by former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and was also attended by the Congress general secretary and J&K party affairs in-charge Ambika Soni.
Today’s (Tuesday) meeting is being held to devise strategy for the future of the party, he added.
All 12 legislators of the Congress from Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir participated in the meet, besides, senior party leaders from all three regions of the state.
The meeting was held a day after, Congress party’s policyplanning group met to discuss the prevailing political situation in the state in New Delhi which was chaired by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also attended by former Union ministers P Chidambaram and Ghulam Nabi Azad, state Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir and former Lok Sabha member Tariq Hameed Karra.
From past one week, the Congress’ central and state leadership has become active on the political front in J&K.
Though, Congress has ruled out any possibility of forming an alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however, 12 legislators of the party hold significance in case efforts will be made to form a new government either by the Peoples Democratic Party or Bharatiya Janata Party.
Three PDP legislators-led by former PDP minister and legislator from north Kashmir’s Pattan constituency, Imran Reza Ansari have already revolted against the party and former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti blaming her for making party family fiefdom.
A senior Congress leader who was part of the meeting said the
: Former CM Mehbooba Mufti should have recommended dissolution of J&K assembly to governor NN Vohra to save her party from the ongoing “poaching” in the state, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday.
“Did @MehboobaMufti
leadership discussed the strategy about the future of the party. “Congress is the only party which has base in all three regions of the state and party legislators could play an important role in the current scenario. We discussed different strategies for the party leaders to make it strong in J&K,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Conference make a historic blunder by not recommending the dissolution of the J&K Assembly to Gov Vohra? As per our constitution he would be bound by her advice & she would have saved her party from all the poaching that is going on at the moment,” tweeted Omar.
vice-president Omar Abdullah has already demanded for dissolving the assembly to prevent horse trading or breaking of parties. Recently, there were also speculations that Mehbooba Mufti had met UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi and both parties would form the government in the state which the former J&K CM denied.
A day after two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislators revolted against the party and the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, another MLA, this time from Gulmarg, has come in support of them and expressed unhappiness with the party and its leadership.
“I am with Imran Reza Ansari. Whatever he will do, I will support him,’’ Abass Wani, a legislator from Gulmarg, said on Tuesday. Wani told HT that accusations against former CM and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti are 100% correct.
Former education minister, Imran Reza Ansari, who is legislator from Pattan in north Kashmir, and his uncle Abid Ansari, who is a legislator from Zadibal, had said they were not a part of the PDP headed by Mehboobaand blamed her for misgovernance and family fiefdom in the party.
The PDP has 29 MLAs in the J&K assembly and Wani is the third MLA, who has gone against the party openly since it lost power after the BJP withdrew its support. Imran Reza Ansari had on Monday said many legislators were against the family rule in the party and will support him.
According to the sources, more PDP MLAs could deflect from the party and join this new group that is taking shaping within the PDP. “Three legislators have come in open but there are many more legislators who can join them,’’ a senior PDP leader said, adding that if Delhi (Centre) wants to break the PDP, it is not a big deal for them. They will adopt the same technique which they did in other states to grab power.
The PDP has, however, maintained silence and Mehbooba has told her close associates to remain calm and watch the developments. HTC