*Core Group expanded; Kamal, Nazir to be patrons
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 2: In major political decisions, the National Conference, which was struggling to stage comeback in Assembly elections after recent debacle in Parliamentary polls, today removed Sheikh Nazir, who was lone party general secretary for past over two and a half decades and replaced him with Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar.
Significantly, taking lead from all political parties, the National Conference today also cleared names of majority of 46 candidates for Assembly seats of the Kashmir Valley and would convey the decision to contestants individually with a direction to start campaign for the polls, which were normally due to be held in November-December this year.
Party sources told the Excelsior that a decision to replace ailing Sheikh Nazir Ahmad as party’s lone general secretary, approval of majority of candidates for 46 seats of the Kashmir Valley and appointment of Sagar as new general secretary were approved by NC’s Core Group, which met for more than two hours this morning in Srinagar.
The NC Core Group decided that Sheikh Nazir Ahmad and party’s additional general secretary Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamal would be appointed as party’s patrons. Former Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would continue as party’s president and working president respectively. The NC has also inducted Khalid Nujeeb Suhrawardhy, former Minister and MLC as one of its Core Group member.
Sources said the Government also planned a major reshuffle in the portfolios of Ministers. Induction of one Minister in the Cabinet is also not ruled out.
“Major reshuffle of portfolios was expected shortly,’’ sources said.
Present strength of the Council of Ministry is 24 as against permitted strength under J&K’s law of 25 including the Chief Minister. There was one vacancy in the quota of Congress after the resignation of Minister of State for Health (Independent charge) Shabir Khan, MLA Rajouri.
There were 18 Cabinet Ministers in Jammu and Kashmir including nine from NC, eight from Congress and one from DPN (Ghulam Hassan Mir) and six Ministers of State—three each from Congress and NC.
Meanwhile, in another significant decision, the NC Core Group today cleared majority of candidates for 46 Assembly seats of the Kashmir Valley. The decision was aimed at giving ample time to the contestants to prepare themselves for the Assembly elections, due in November-December.
Sources said the NC has kept its options open for alliance with the Congress and not cleared candidates for some of the seats, which could go to the latter in the event of a pre-poll alliance with its incumbent coalition partner in the Government. The NC would withdraw some of the candidates in case of pre-poll alliance, they added.
However, sources pointed out, the NC Core Group decided not to make names of the candidates public but convey party’s decision to the contestants individually with a direction to prepare for the Assembly elections well in advance.
Sources said the party has dropped some of the sitting MLAs, brought in new faces and repeated some candidates, who had finished runners-up in 2008 Assembly elections.
“The decision to name candidates for the Assembly elections at least five months in advance was aimed at taking lead from political opponents as well as giving enough time to the contestants to start preparation from the elections,’’ sources said.
They added that the NC would undertake a similar exercise for 37 Assembly seats of Jammu region and four seats of Ladakh region in the next few days.
“An exercise for finalizing the candidates for all Assembly seats of Jammu and Ladakh regions was already on and would be completed very shortly after which it would be submitted before the Core Group for final stamp,’’ sources said, adding that in finalizing the candidates for Jammu and Ladakh seats also, the NC would not clear the seats, which could go to the Congress in case of pre-poll tie up with the party.
The Core Group, which took the significant decisions to revamp the party, which lost all Parliamentary seats in just concluded elections, was chaired by NC president and former Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and comprised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar, CAPD and Transport Minister Choudhary Ramzan, Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone, Forests and Environment Minister Mian Altaf, Planning and Development Minister Ajay Sadhotra and provincial president for Kashmir Nasir Aslam Wani. NC leader and former MLA from Doda Khalid Nujeeb Suhrawardhy, MLC has been inducted as new member of the Core Group.
Meanwhile, new appointed general secretary of the NC, Ali Mohammad Sagar told the Excelsior that he would strive hard to rejuvenate the party ahead of the Assembly elections and regain the lost ground of the party.
“My all efforts would be to make the party a force to reckon with in entire Jammu and Kashmir,’’ he said.
He said he would tour entire State to establish contact with the masses and restore lost glory of the party.
“We will definitely win the upcoming Assembly elections,’’ Sagar said.
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