Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 18: PCC(I) president Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz during a Legislature Party meeting today issued a directive to the party leadership to gear up the cadres for the forthcoming Parliamentary elections.
The meeting elected legislator from Bhaderwah, Mohammad Sharief Niaz as its Deputy Legislature Party (CLP) leader.
The meeting discussed wide ranging issues including party strategy for the coming elections. The Congress leaders in the meeting put forward their viewpoints to the Congress president for strengthening of Congress party for the coming elections.
The meeting also discussed the non implementation of 73rd Amendment of Indian constitution in the State Panchayat Raj Act. The party leaders said that Congress is continuing its efforts to communicate with their coalition partner National Conference to implement the amendment without further delay.
Sources said that majority of the Congress legislators favoured lodging of a strong protest during the Co-ordination Committee meeting against non implementation of the amendments despite assurances made by Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar for its early implementation.
The Legislators also discuss the strategy for the forthcoming Parliament elections due early next year. The legislators expressed the hope that Congress party is better placed in all the three regions of the State and party can win maximum number of seats during the coming elections and will be the largest party in the State in next Assembly elections.
Prof Soz issued a directive to all the Congress leaders to work vigorously in their respective constituencies for the forthcoming Parliamentary election.
Prof Soz also said that pro people agenda of Congress party is being endorsed by most of the people in all the regions of the State and the recent joining of various leaders into the party is a reward for the hard work of the Congress leaders which they did for the last many years.
The PCC president also announced to organize a mega party convention in Srinagar office of Congress party on October 20 to welcome the new leaders in the party. “Many more are interested to join the party. We are in touch with them and the leaders would be included in the party at an appropriate time,” he said.
Mr Niaz couldn’t attend the meeting as he was busy in his Assembly segment Bhaderwah’s village Bhalessa.
Meanwhile, the AICC has constituted a 12-member J&K Pradesh Election Committee headed by PCC chief Prof Soz. The other members of the committee are- CLP leader Ch Mohd Aslam, DyCM Tara Chand, former PCC chief Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, Mohd Sharief Niaz, PHE Minister Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Tourism G A Mir, senior leaders Bashir Ahmed Magray, T Samphel from Ladakh, Khem Lata Wakhloo and Ravinder Sharma-PCC spokesman.
The AICC also announced a Coordination Committee and a Disciplinary Committee for the State. The Coordination Committee would be headed by AICC general secretary and incharge of J&K Affairs Ambika Soni while State Congress chief Prof Soz has been named as convenor. The other members are- Ch Aslam, DyCM Tara Chand, senior leaders Muzaffar Parray and R S Chib.
The Disciplinary Committee would be headed by very senior leader Gurmukh Singh as chairman while senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Monga, Narboo Gyalchen, Vinod Sharma and Anwar Bhat will be members of the committee.