Sensing an opportunity in the latest crisis facing the Omar Abdullah government in Jammu & Kashmir following the death of some stone-pelting protesters in action by the security forces, a section of the Congress backed by health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was learnt to have stepped up pressure on the party High Command to opt for a rotational power-sharing arrangement in the state. If accepted, this could mean a curtailed tenure of three years for J&K?s young chief minister.
While many leaders from the state have been pressing this demand in New Delhi, the move gained fresh momentum last week when a delegation of 47 Congress leaders called on Congress President Sonia Gandhi here. Known as loyalists of former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, these leaders had a litany of complaints against the state Congress chief Saifuddin Soz, said Congress sources. The demand for a rotational power-sharing arrangement was said to have been raised at this meeting. Omar had taken over as CM in January 2005 with a clear assurance from the Congress that he would be allowed to complete a six year term.
While Omar already enjoys the backing of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi?which has insulated him from any direct attack from Congressmen notwithstanding their unease about the young CM?s handing of the crises in the state?he could also benefit from the fact that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh believes that the Congress should play second fiddle in the state administration keeping a regional party at the helm of affairs, according to senior Congress leaders in New Delhi. ?He believes that a regional party at the helm gives a buffer to the Centre,? said a senior government functionary.
In 2005 as well, the Prime Minister was in favour of letting Mufti Mohammad Sayeed of the PDP continue as chief minister, according to Congress leaders involved in the Kashmir affairs at the time. A former Congressman, Sayeed was said to be acceptable to his former party colleagues. Even then, though, Azad had led a successful campaign within the Congress to take over the reins of the state, said sources.
Amid fresh attempts to review the power-sharing arrangement, what could come as a big relief to Omar was the fact that Sonia was rather dismissive about the complaints of the disgruntled Congressmen who met her last week. She asked them to meet senior party leader Oscar Fernandes to register their complaint about being neglected in the party?s membership drive in the state.
Incidentally, the Congress? membership in the Valley has gone up to 2.5 lakh in 2010 from the previous figure of 1 lakh in 2005. Party membership in Jammu region was also pegged at 2.5 lakh.
What apparently prompted the Azad faction in the J&K Congress to rush to the party High Command was the fact that senior party leader ML Fotedar, during a private visit to Srinagar last month, had called for unity in the party. In his discussions with the party leadership, Fotedar was said to have expressed disapproval of the Azad camp?s attempts to undermine Soz.