Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Aug 5: For infusing more confidence among the party cadre, Congress national general secretary Ambika Soni, who is also incharge of the J&K affairs and Union Minister for Health Ghulam Nabi Azad are arriving here for attending a one-day convention of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) members of Jammu province on August 11.
PCC president Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz will preside over the convention wherein Ambika Soni and Azad will be the special invitees. Hotel Ashok is likely to be the venue of this convention for which the arrangements are being finalized, informed sources in Congress circles told the Excelsior.
All the executive body members of Pradesh Congress Committee from Jammu Province, whose number is approximately 150 including ex-officio members like ministers, MLAs, MLCs, ex-ministers and ex-legislators, are going to attend this convention wherein party programmes and further strategy keeping in view the forthcoming Parliament elections is likely to be discussed, sources added.
Both Amibka Soni and Ghulam Nabi Azad are learnt to have given their consent for participation in the maiden PCC convention after the re-appointment of Prof Soz as State unit chief. The last PCC convention was held on May 18-19 in Kashmir, last year.
Earlier, the convention was planned to be held on August 9 but keeping in view the forthcoming Eid-ul Azha, August 11 was finalized for the event.
A similar convention of the PCC members from Kashmir Province is also going to be held soon and a final date in this regard is likely to be decided after August 15, sources said.
According to the party sources, the convention is being viewed as a major step towards unity efforts in the faction ridden State unit of Congress where division among the party leadership is wide open.
After a long gap, both Prof Soz and Ghulam Nabi Azad are likely to share dais publically thus signaling a unity move from the party convention next week, sources explained.
As the Parliament and State Assembly elections are approaching nearer, leaders of both the factions are severely feeling the necessity of party unity for better poll results and this approach was evident during the last month convention of Jammu Urban unit, held at Kangra Fort near Ban Talab where some die hard Azad loyalists were seen sharing dais with Soz camp leaders.
Meanwhile, sources said that leaders of both the factions are also gearing up for show of strength before the party incharge Ambika Soni, who will address the party cadre for the first time since her appointment as the incharge J&K affairs. She had visited J&K along with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and AICC president Sonia Gandhi during their visit for inauguration of the Banihal Railway tunnel, last month where there was no party programme.
Follow our WhatsApp channel