Vikar is new JKPCC chief, Azad declines to head campaign panel

‘There were differences over candidature for post of president, party appointed me on merit ’: Wani

Jammu, July 16: Hours after the Congress president Sonia Gandhi announced a major rejig in J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), strong resentment and vertical divide came to surface within the party late Tuesday night with the former chief minister and senior leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad resigning from chairmanship of newly-constituted JKPCC Campaign Committee.
Reports suggested that Azad declined to accept the offer of Congress president as chairman of campaign committee due to health reasons but insiders said that Azad was not “happy with the reshuffle” because he was “probably not taken into confidence” prior to taking a final call on rejig in the party.
This is notwithstanding the fact that Vikar Rasool Wani, who is considered as Azad’s loyalist, was appointed as new president of JKPCC after the Congress President Sonia Gandhi accepted the resignation of Ghulam Ahmed Mir from the post of President JKPCC.
The Congress high command had also approved the setting up of a Political Affairs Committee, Coordination Committee, Manifesto Committee, Publicity and Publication Committee, Disciplinary Committee, and Pradesh Election Committee of JKPCC.
“More Congress leaders, particularly those belonging to Azad camp, are expected to resign from their respective positions in different committees. Some senior leaders are also annoyed over giving ‘promotional place’ to some insignificant leaders, who have no contribution in building Congress party in J&K, besides others involved in corruption and serious controversies too have found place in one committee or another,” insiders said.
There are reports that former MLA Mohd Amin Bhat has resigned from the Coordination Committee, sources said.
Talking to The News Now, Vikar Rasool Wani said, “there was differences over the candidature for the post of president only. I would not name anyone but the party decided my name for the post of president on merit basis. Rest, the party is united and we will work hard to keep the flock together”.
Over the resignation of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Wani said, “Let me go through the developments. I will make a statement tomorrow morning”.
Wani, however, said that he along with his party workers would fight against the “dictatorship” in J&K and “strengthening of democracy”. “We will fight with new vigour for the restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and strengthening of all democratic institutions which have been sabotaged by the ruling BJP. We will also fight for the rights of daily wagers and all other sections of society which are the victim of present dispensation,” he said.
Earlier, Congress top leadership appointed senior leader and former minister Raman Bhalla as the new working president of JKPCC. The party also constituted two Core Committees—Campaign Committee and Political Affairs Committee.
The Campaign Committee, announced by the Congress leadership, comprised Ghulam Nabi Azad as chairman, Tariq Hameed Karra as vice chairman, G M Saroori as convenor, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Tara Chand, Thakur Balwan Singh, T S Bajwa, Shabir Khan, Neeraj Kundan, Abdul Majeed Wani and Feroz Khan as its members. Both PCC President and Working President would be the permanent invitees during the Campaign Committee meetings.
The Political Affairs Committee comprises Tariq Hameed Karra as chairman, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Saifuddin Soz, PeerzadaMohd Sayeed, Taj Mohiyuddin, Tara Chand, Mula Ram and KhemlataWakhlu. During the meeting of this committee, AICC in-charge J&K, PCC President and Working President would be the permanent invitees.
Updated On 8/17/2022 10:32:41 AM