Party deciding on fate of few DPAP leaders, others
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 29: All India Congress Screening Committee today discussed the names of the party’s strong contenders for the second and third phase of Assembly elections in the Jammu and Kashmir during a marathon meeting held at Congress headquarters in New Delhi.
Party sources told the Excelsior that meeting was held under the chairmanship of Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Chairman of the Committee and Congress MP from Punjab. Besides other two members, Sachin Rao and Anto Antony; AICC general secretary and Incharge J&K affairs of the party, Bharatsinh Solanki and JKPCC president, Tariq Hameed Karra also attended it.
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The meeting which lasted for over four hours discussed in detail one by one, about the names of the potential candidates for various seats of Phase 2 and 3 of the Assembly elections, as per the lists forwarded by the State Election Committee. Sources further said that Party’s Central Election Committee has already sought lists of the candidates for all the 90 seats.
After alliance with the National Conference, out of the total 90 Assembly seats in J&K, 32 have gone to the kitty of Congress Party. Congress released the list of nine candidates for the first phase out of its share of 32 seats two days ago. During second phase, elections on 26 seats will be held while in the third phase on October 1, on the remaining 40 seats.
Sources revealed that meeting also discussed about the names of some DPAP members who intended to join the party besides a few other party members, who have been denied ticket by the main ruling party and a few from NC. Most of them are from Jammu region and potential candidates including two former Ministers, two ex legislators and a BDC Chairman. They may land in the Congress fold within couple of days.
After screening committee meeting JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra and Bharatsinh Solanki also discussed the matter with regard to taking of few DPAP members into Congress fold besides three other party members from Kathua, Reasi and Udhampur districts with AICC general secretary (Org) K C Venugopal. The party may finally decide on their fate tomorrow.
Without naming any one, sources said that party is taking afresh review on Reasi, Katra, Billawar, Hiranagar, Gandhi Nagar-Bahu, Akhnoor and Jasrota seats. They said some annoyed BJP and NC leaders were also in touch with the top Congress leaders and two rounds of talks were about their fate were held in Delhi party office. AICC president, Mallikarjun Kharge and LOP Rahul Gandhi may take a final call tomorrow on this issue.
Though senior party leaders and JKPCC working presidents, Tara Chand and Raman Bhalla are not members of the Screening Committee, yet they were camping in Delhi to keep a watch on the party activities going on there with regard to party mandate. They both are seeking some change in their already mandated seats.
Sources further said that JKPCC senior vice president and chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma (Ex-MLC) also arrived in Delhi today and conveyed his strong resentment to the party president, Mallikarjun Kharge, JKPCC general secretary I/C J&K affairs Bharatsinh Solanki and Screning Committee Chairman S S Randhawa besides PCC president, Tariq Hameed Karra and others, for denying him party mandate from Sunderbani –Kalakote seat.
He contested how a Hindu, refugee and Brahman dominated seat was offered to National Conference besides adjoining Nowshera seat. He was offered another seat in Jammu but he refused to contest outside his home constituency where he has worked hard since long.
There was also resentment among the Congress leaders and workers in Jammu, especially in Jammu North about ‘unfair’ seat sharing formula adopted and accepted by the top party leadership involved in the sharing exercise. They said Jammu got unfair deal in seat sharing. Some of them may contest as Independent candidates, the sources added.
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