NEW DELHI: Trouble brewing in yet another state unit, the Congress high command has swung into action and is in touch with the leadership in Jammu and Kashmir to iron out differences, keeping in mind that Assembly elections can take place soon.
On the other hand, leaders close to senior party representative Ghulam Nabi Azad, who resigned on Wednesday, demanded he be named the party’s chief ministerial face.
Azad, who has been touring in the Valley, said he is not aware of the resignation by several party leaders.
However, during a rally in Jammu which was attended by Azad, the group demanded that he should be made party’s face.
There has been growing differences among Azad and Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir and the leaders supporting the former have complained against the state unit head.
"I will do what the people of Jammu and Kashmir want me to do for the betterment of this state," Azad told reporters in reply to a question on whether he would contest as Congress chief ministerial candidate in the next assembly elections keeping in view the demand raised at a public rally in Kathua district.
The leaders, who shared the stage with Azad at the rally and resigned from their posts in the Congress, saying only Azad is acceptable to them as the party's face in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the chief ministerial candidate, not state Congress chief Gulam Ahmed Mir.
"Mir is not acceptable to us. We want Azad sahib and he should lead the party. He has sacrificed a lot for the party and this area," former minister Manohar Lal Sharma, who was among the leaders who resigned from party post, said at the Azad-led rally in Kathua.
Azad said he came to know about the resignations of Congress leaders only through newspapers today.
"I am not party to that (resignation by party leaders). I was not consulted. I, myself, read it in the newspapers," he said.
The veteran leader said that he did not talk to them as it is their personal point of view.
"For me, everyone is equal. I am not with one team or another team. I am not associated with one or another group," he said.
On the issue of grievances raised by his loyals in the state Congress, Azad said, "There have been grievances."
Asked about the show of strength of his loyals in Jammu and Kashmir, he said this was not a 'shakti pradarshan'.
"I travel to internal areas of Jammu and Kashmir. For long it had not been possible because of the state's bifurcation and then due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is just to know about the people."
On the internal tussle in the Congress, Azad said it is even there in the ruling party, "we have more internal democracy (in the Congress). Even their ministers speak (against the government). This (internal tussle) shouldn't happen. It is unfortunate that this is happening".
Azad is among the G23 leaders who wrote to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi over leadership issues and organisational elections.
Well-placed sources said the party leadership wants to settle the matter as soon as possible keeping in mind that elections are due and also that Azad has good hold over the state unit.
Attacking the JKPCC chief, the disgruntled leaders said the party is heading towards a disastrous situation under him and that a large number of leaders have resigned from Congress and joined other parties, while some of them have chosen to remain silent.
On Wednesday, about a dozen senior leaders loyal to Azad resigned demanding a change in guard. However, many of them said they are not leaving the party, which indicates that they are waiting for an opportunity to work under Azad.
State unit chief’s position weakens
Whatever the Congress high command decides, it is clear that state unit chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir’s future in that post is uncertain.
Dissidents have said they have no trust in him. It is to be seen what the high command decides, considering that Azad is not very close to the Gandhis.
(With PTI Inputs)