SRINAGAR: Taking cue from the party high command, Jammu and Kashmir Congress would be
organising a three-day brainstorming (Chintan Shivir) at the Patnitop hill station in the Union Territory from Tuesday to discuss the political situation and prepare a roadmap for the forthcoming Assembly polls in J&K.
The Shivir comes at a time the party is divided into factions.
One of these factions, close to former J&K chief minister and veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, has been seeking replacement of present J&K Congress chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir and replacing him with Azad.
It remains to be seen whether Azad loyalists, who include former ministers, will attend the Chintan shivar and give their suggestions for strengthening the party and consolidate the party’s support base in J&K.
Due to factionalism in the state Congress, the party had to appoint senior leader Raman Bhalla as working president some months back.
Mir told reporters that more than 150 party leaders, including former ministers and legislators, PCC office-bearers and district presidents, are expected to attend the Chintan Shivar.
The brainstorming session, Mir said, will discuss the political situation in J&K in detail besides organisational issues, women and youth empowerment, agriculture, tourism, industries and social justice.
It will be the first coming together of J&K Congress leaders after abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K state by Centre on August 5, 2019.
“The leaders will start arriving tomorrow and the formal discussions will be held on June 1-2. All the issues concerning J&K would be discussed in detail and everybody will give his/her suggestions,” Mir further said.