Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 6: Taking a lead from its rivals, ruling National Conference today sounded poll bugle for 2014 Parliament and Assembly elections and called upon the party Ministers, Members of Parliament and legislators to gear up the party cadre to face the crucial task next year when two elections-both Parliament and State Assembly-were scheduled to be held.
The party, however, didn’t rule out the possibility of a snap Parliament poll in November as being discussed in political circles at the national level and asked the party leaders to brace up for the political fight accordingly.
In a significant development, a number of party legislators pointed finger towards the party Ministers for not taking care of their constituencies and works, virtually alleging their neglect prompting Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah to intervene and direct the Ministers to ensure that works recommended by MLAs/MLAs for done in shortest possible time as they had to go to their constituencies soon.
Dr Abdullah also took some of the party legislators to task for not properly utilising Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and directed them to ensure that the CDF was fully spent on development and other works prescribed under it.
Dr Farooq Abdullah, who reached here this afternoon told party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) that began its two days “strategy session for Mission 2014” at Sher-I-Kashmir Bhawan this afternoon told the party that a debate was going on at national level about a snap Parliament poll in November.
Though, he, said the UPA Government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh would complete full term till May 2014, Dr Abdullah called upon the party cadre to remain prepared for the Parliamentary elections if they are held in November this year.
Dr Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also happened to be working president of National Conference, would conclude the CWC with their address tomorrow after listening all the members. A total of 48 CWC members attended the meeting today. They included Ministers, legislators, office bearers and special invitees.
All five party MPs including Dr Abdullah (Srinagar), Sharief-ud-Din Shariq (Baramulla) and Dr Mehboob Beg (Anantnag) and two Rajya Sabha members including Mohammad Shaffi Uri and Ghulam Nabi Rattanpuri attended the meeting. Independent MP but NC ally Ghulam Hassan Khan, MP Ladakh-Kargil was not present in the meeting as he was in Kargil.
Sources said a number of ruling MLAs/MLCs, who spoke in the meeting, highlighted their grievances pertaining to the Alliance Ministers including those belonging to National Conference saying they were busy in nursing their own constituencies and were not paying due attention to their segments, which could create problems for them.
“The Ministers should attend to the segments of all legislators,” some of them remarked, which prompted the NC president to intervene and direct the party Ministers to ensure that grievances of the legislators are properly addressed. Farooq said the MLAs/MLCs formed backbone of the party and, at no cost, their problems should be ignored.
Induction of new Ministers, both Cabinet and Ministers of State in January 15 reshuffle in the Council of Ministry and dropping out of others, also came in for discussion. The party cadre said the new Ministers should show their performance as they had challenging task ahead.
The party expressed satisfaction over performance of new Ministers in the just concluded session of the Legislature.
The NC CWC was of the view that till it was in Alliance with the Congress, it had to take all steps to ensure effective functioning of the coalition Government. The CWC said the coalition was working well despite minor tiffs in the Legislative Assembly on the issue of Afzal Guru when some NC members had taken stand against the Union Home Minister prompting reaction from the Congress Ministers and MLAs.
Sources said the CWC was primarily aimed at eliciting the opinion of NC’s top brass to strengthen the party for what it called `Mission 2014′. Though there had been talks of a snap poll of Lok Sabha in November in the wake of DMK withdrawing its support to the UPA and talks of Samajwadi Party also following the suit, the CWC of the NC was confident that both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections would be held next year.
Worthwhile to mention here that Parliament elections are due in the country in April-May 2014 while the Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in November-December the same year. The Parliament would complete its term in June and the Assembly on January 5, 2015.
The senior National Conference leaders told the party leaders that they should also prepare for an early Parliament elections in the event of Samajwadi Party withdrawing support to the UPA. NC has four members in the Lok Sabha and two in the Rajya Sabha.
The NC had contested 2009 Parliament election in alliance with the Congress. NC had contested three Lok Sabha seats of Kashmir while Congress had fought two seats of Jammu. The Alliance had won all five seats. Ghulam Hassan Khan, who had won as Independent candidate from Ladakh seat, had also affiliated with the NC.
The party has ruled out preponing of Assembly elections with Parliament and would like the Assembly to complete full term of six years.
Sources said the opinion was divided on entering into pre-poll alliance with the Congress. While the NC members were generally not opposed to such an alliance in Lok Sabha, majority opinion was against such a tie-up for the Assembly elections as they were of the view that it would harm the party prospectus at the hustings. There were very few voices that favoured the pre-poll tie up with the Congress.
However, the party CWC was of the view that there should be no confrontation between the two coalition partners till they were in Alliance with each other. The party asked its Ministers, MPs and legislators to ensure that there was no confrontation between the two partners especially in public like the one witnessed in the Assembly and Council. The point of confrontation, if any between the two partners, should be sorted out mutually.
Sources said the CWC members also discussed security scenario in the Kashmir Valley. The NC leaders voiced concern over execution of Afzal Guru, arrest of Liyaqat Shah by New Delhi Police and Centre’s open refusal of the demand for partial withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). They were of the view that the Centre should concede all three demands of the NC including return of mortal remains of Guru, withdrawal of case against Liyaqat Shah and partial revocation of AFSPA.
Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah were understood to have assured the NC CWC members that they would continue to pursue all three demands with the Centre Government.
Some of the NC members were also said to have favoured holding of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Block Development Council (BDC) elections but, at the same time, they were of the view that the tourist season in the Kashmir Valley, which would set in very soon shouldn’t be disturbed as many bookings have already been cancelled in the wake of protests in the aftermath of the killing of Guru.
Some of the NC CWC members were reported to have called for more vigorous efforts at political level especially in the Kashmir Valley to counter the PDP.
The party top brass unanimously asked the Ministers and legislators to address grievances of party cadres, especially those who have genuine grievances.
The issue of incorporation of some provisions of 73 amendment in the Panchayati Raj Act were also taken up by the some CWC members.
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