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| Congress: Where is the party? | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Nov 4: Hoping to form government at its own, the Congress could have done well despite erosion of its base due to Amarnath land row, but the party leadership is neither able to come out of its New Delhi cocoon nor arrive at an easy consensus on selection of candidates.
Given the organizational disarray in BJP and a threat to its vote bank from the allied parties, the Congress could have taken advantage of this division but the party is entirely missing from the ground.
Two main leaders supposed to steer ahead the campaign –PCC Chief Saif-ud-Din Soz and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad –are struck up in New Delhi. Middle and second rung leaders are taking trains and flights to and fro Delhi so frequently that they yet to establish their contacts with workers for gearing up the poll activity.
First and the tough stage of any election process is selection of candidates where the Congress has so far shown a week kneed approach. If it was certain that elections had to be held at any stage, the party stalwarts –Soz and Azad –could have zeroed in on names of potential winning stuffs and the high command may not have taken much time in making the final selection.
Now when the list of 31 candidates have been announced after a series of meetings of State Election Committee and several deliberations of the AICC Screening Committee, the choice of names and then leaving few seats vacant shows that the party has no courage to look beyond obvious.
In Ganderbal constituency, the Congress nominee against National Conference President is a gentlemen against who was till recently being considered by the Peoples Democratic Party for ticket as the party had fallen out with its “2002 giant killer” and former Minister Qazi Mohammad Afzal. Son of former sports Minister Sheikh Jabbar, Sheikh Ashfaq had quit his job as a sub-inspector in the state police to contest from the constituency, considered a NC bastion.
Ashfaq's name was released along with 31 others which included Abdul Gani Vakil, a known detractor of JKPCC Chief and Union Water Resources Minister Saif-ud-din Soz. Vakil will be contesting from Rafiabad.
PCC chief Saif-ud-din Soz's name did not figure from Baramulla constituency in the list released by the party today, triggering speculation that he might not contest the assembly poll.
The party fielded Ghulam Nabi Monga from this prestigious North Kashmir constituency, fuelling speculation that the JKPCC chief might not enter the fray.
Baramulla along with 17 other seats will go to polls in the fourth round of the staggered Jammu and Kashmir assembly election on December seven.
Former Minister Taj Mohiuddin was also fielded from Uri assembly seat in North Kashmir.
With this, the Congress has so far announced candidates for 40 of the 87 assembly seats. The remaining names would be released soon, party sources said.
Among other names released by the party for Kashmir were that of Mohd Yasin Shah (Karnah), Chaudhary Salamuddin (Kupwara), Farooq Ahmad Mir (Lolab), Mohd Amin Khan Kutlari (Langate), Abdul Rashid (Sopore), Mohd Muzafar Paray (Sangarma), Ghulam Nabi Monga (Baramulla), Ghulam Hassan Shah (Kangan), Ghulam Nabi Mir Lasjan (Chadoora), Fayaz Fahat (Badgam), Master Mohammad Maqbool (Charari Sharief), S Surinder Singh (Tral), Mohammad Anwar Bhat (Pampore), Mohd Maqbool Bhat (Pulwama), Peer Nazir Ahmad (Wachi), Mohd Safi Bandey (Shopian).
In Jammu region, the Congress list included Jugal Kishore (Reasi), Aijaz Ahmed (Gool Arnas), Brij Mohan Sharma (Udhampur), Krishan Chander Bhagat (Chanani-SC), Thakur Das (Ramnagar), Prem Sagar (Bani), Kanta Andotra (Basohli), Manohar Lal Sharma (Billawar), Girdhari Lal (Hiranagar-SC), Dr Ramesh Chander(Nowshera), Thakur Puran Singh (Darhal) and Shabir Ahmad Khan (Rajouri). |
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