SRINAGAR: Questions remain whether the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir will learn from Thursday’s poll debacles.
Even as the election is likely to be held in the next five-six months, the unit is split between former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and PCC chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir.
The latter is helming the party affairs for seven years despite Congress not faring well in elections held under his leadership.
He himself lost the parliamentary elections from south Kashmir, Assembly polls in 2014 and even his son lost in the DDC polls.
In November, the supporters of Azad resigned from the party posts to press the leadership for appointing their leader as the party chief.
Senior leader Ghulam Nabi Monga, who resigned from the post of senior vice-president, said the leadership without wasting any time should appoint Azad as the PCC chief.
“He is the best leader, who can revive Congress in J&K. Mir has been a total failure and we have been telling the party leadership time and again that he should be changed. He is not acceptable to a large section of workers,” Monga said, adding that Azad was acceptable to all leaders.
Another party leader said Azad is a tall leader and his appointment will act as a morale booster for the party and its workers.
If Azad is not given the top responsibility, he said, then the infighting will continue and the party will not be able to compete with BJP.
A PDP leader too said Congress is the best bet against BJP in the Jammu region where there are 43 seats.
“But the party is battling infighting and factionalism. In such a scenario, it cannot pose any challenge to BJP.”