SRINAGAR: In a bid to end factionalism and revive the party ahead of first Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, the Congress is looking to replace its J&K Congress chief, Ghulam Ahmed Mir.
Sources said meetings of party leaders were held in New Delhi to discuss the change. In the meetings, AICC general secretary (org) KC Venugopal, in-charge J&K Rajni Patil and Mir, discussed the probable names to take up the post.
Six names three each from Kashmir and Jammu — are said to be under consideration for the post in J&K Congress, which is ridden with factionalism. While Vikar Rasool, G M Saroori and Manohar Lal are the candidates from Jammu, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Tariq Hamid Karra and Ghulam Nabi Monga are in the race from Kashmir.
The party may prefer a leader from Jammu region in view of the changed political scenario and increase of seven Assembly seats in the region after the revocation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K state in 2019. According to sources, Rasool, a former minister, is the top favourite as he is accepted by all and is also close to former J&K chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
He was one among the dissident J&K Congress leaders who had written a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi seeking Mir’s removal. Mir was appointed to the post in 2014. During his tenure, the party did not fare well in 2014 Assembly polls and he himself lost the parliamentary election from the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in 2019.