Representations forwarded to Sonia resenting change
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, July 6: Paving way for the installation of new PCC president, the incumbent Ghulam Ahmad Mir has formally submitted his resignation to the Congress high command, which is, however, learnt to have withheld final decision on the proposed name to head the party unit in Jammu and Kashmir owing to infighting and groupism.
According to G A Mir, he submitted his resignation to Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday and it was up to the Congress president to appoint the new PCC chief.
“It is the tradition in the Congress party that before any reshuffle, the existing office-bearers put in their papers. I have done the same,” Mir said and claimed that there was no resentment or infighting in the party.
The Excelsior had exclusively reported in its July 5 edition that the incumbent PCC chief G A Mir was all set to be replaced and Vikar Rasool was front runner for the post.
However, credible sources told the Excelsior that notwithstanding the resignation submitted by G A Mir last evening, infighting in J&K Congress has led to withholding the name of Vikar Rasool as new PCC chief.
A die-hard loyalist of senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Vikar Rasool was front runner among the four names discussed by the party high command as probable new PCC president, during a high level meeting between AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, Incharge J&K, Rajni Patil and G A Mir at New Delhi on Monday.
While elaborating, sources said that groups of Congressmen in Jammu and Kashmir, including several office bearers, who are considered to be close to G A Mir, have voiced their reservation over the probable names as new PCC chief and also timing of changing the leadership.
These Congressmen are learnt to have forwarded representations to the AICC president Sonia Gandhi conveying their reservations over replacing the PCC chief at the time when Jammu and Kashmir is in election mode amid indications that Assembly polls are likely to be held soon in the Union Territory.
Sources said that these Congressmen from J&K, in their representations to Sonia Gandhi, have also expressed their resentment over considering the names of those persons as new PCC chief, who were ‘disloyal’ to the party and had raised banner of revolt against the official team of Congress.
Pertinent to mention that J&K Congress has been battling with factionalism for a long time, with a group owing allegiance to former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had resigned from their posts in support of their demand for change in the leadership in J&K last year.
Mir, who was continuing as PCC chief since March 2015, finally submitted his resignation to Sonia Gandhi last evening amid reports that Sonia Gandhi has asked Rahul Gandhi to pacify Ghulam Nabi Azad for better Congress prospects in J&K Assembly polls.
In a letter to the AICC president Sonia Gandhi, G A Mir said that as a disciplined soldier, any decision taken by her regarding his successor shall be acceptable to him. “As per best traditions of the party, I put down my papers to facilitate the Congress president to appoint next chief of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said in the letter.
As the factionalism refuse to die despite resignation of G A Mir, sources said that the Congress high command is in touch with the party leaders in Jammu and Kashmir to iron out the differences and evolve consensus over new PCC chief.
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