Fayaz Bukhari

The Indian National Congress today asked its cadres to be ready for the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir during its meeting of top functionaries including its legislators and discussed future plan of the party to strengthen it.
The Congress leadership including Ambika Soni, AICC general secretary and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad held a meeting in Srinagar today in which about 100 party functionaries, including legislators discussed its future plan in the State.
The leaders and top party functionaries stressed for early elections in Jammu and Kashmir and chalked out a strategy to strengthen the party in the State.
Click here to watch video
The meeting of the Manmohan Singh-led Congress’ Policy-Planning Group for J&K was already scheduled and it had significance due to fall of PDP-BJP Government in the State after BJP pulled out of coalition last month.
Many leaders, during the meeting, lamented that the strategic gains made through political initiatives in J&K during the 10 years of UPA regime have been completely reversed during the four years of NDA rule.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the function here, Ambika Soni said that the party has sought reply from the BJP led Government at the Centre as well as their Coalition Government in the State as to why they forged an alliance and what they did during their tenure. However, she said that there was no reply from the BJP Government.
“In our tenure when Dr Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister, several initiatives were taken including round table conference, interlocutor was sent to the Valley who also provided their reports,” she said, adding that “we wanted them to follow our initiatives but couldn’t as our tenure ended.”
“We are currently holding deliberations with the people and hope they will elect us again,” she added.
Soni during the meeting said the Governor’s rule can only be an interim arrangement before the resumption of political process, including elections.
State Congress president, G A Mir said that meeting was held in view of the current political developments in the State. “The Coalition Government which was in the State that we earlier called as an “unholy or ethnic alliance” pushed the State into Governor rule and we openly held PDP and BJP responsible for this. Neither the people of the State are responsible for it, nor the Congress party”, he said.
Mir said that the Congress wants improvement in situation before holding elections in the State. “Congress party is of the view that the situation that has worsened on the ground level for past two and a half years and the result of which is failure of the Government. The situation on the ground level should be better first, the trust of the people on democratic process and political parties that has been almost finished by the Coalition Government, should be restored”, he said.
“We conveyed to the Governor in all party meeting that it is his responsibility that when the situation will be better, then the political process in the State should start. We are of the view that the Governor rule should not be imposed for too long. These things were discussed in the meeting and future course of action will be conveyed later”, he added.
Asked about the dissolution of the Assembly, Mir said: “We conveyed to the Governor in all party meeting that if any political part had laid their claim in writing about the formation of the Government, in that situation as per rules, you have some limit. For how many days that party can mobilize their support and you cannot beyond that limit. If any party particularly BJP, PDP, Congress and NC had not written to you, then in that situation the Assembly is suspended. The doors for horse trading are being opened as you cannot keep it for unlimited time. If any party wants to from Government, they should come in front of the Governor or people or media and they should be given minimum time required for it. If nobody wants to claim anything, unofficially everyone is trying and officially nobody is claiming, then Governor should see to it”.
“We indicated to the Governor that he will lose his credibility if he won’t take a decision. That is why he asked for a week or two weeks time to seek suggestions from the experts. So, definitely Congress party will wait for the minimum time of the Governor, in between that if anyone claims or not that will be known”, he said.
“We are of the view that this State has already suffered much and now it should not be thrown into chaos by horse-trading or its rumours”, he said.
The meeting of State congress party which commenced in the morning today in which all the legislators, MLC’s, ex-MLA’s, former Ministers and all the important members of the party participated. From the Centre, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ambika Soni and former PCC president, Saif-ud-Din Soz were also present in the meeting.

Courtesy: Daily Excelsior:  4/07/2018