Looking at the manner in which the Congress has entered the election field, it can only be assumed that it will be very ‘beauty’ with him such a ‘played’ It has happened that now a big ‘Miracle’ Only this can give it a respectable place in the election results. In Jammu and Kashmir, Congress has won not one but many elections. ‘Self Goal’ They have done it together. Believe it or not, the party seems to be lagging badly in the elections.
Looking at the reluctant manner in which Congress is contesting the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, it seems as if someone has taken a ‘contract’ to destroy Congress in Jammu and Kashmir. Looking at the manner in which Congress has entered the election fray, it can only be assumed that a ‘game’ has been played with it so beautifully that now only a big ‘miracle’ can give it a respectable place in the election results. Who all played the ‘game’ with Congress, it will become clear with time, but some signs of sabotage are already visible. In Jammu and Kashmir, Congress has scored not one but several ‘self goals’ at once. Whether anyone believes it or not, the party seems to be lagging badly in the elections.
questions raised about decisions
Assembly elections are being held in Jammu and Kashmir after ten years. But looking at the election preparations of the Congress, it seems as if it did not have even the slightest idea that assembly elections could be held in the state. On the very day the Election Commission announced the elections, the Congress gave the first proof of its ‘preparations’ by changing its state president. The party made Tariq Hameed Karra the new president in place of Waqar Rasool Wani. Wani was made the state president in August 2022 when a large number of people were leaving the party along with Ghulam Nabi Azad. Wani was considered a special man of Azad, but Wani did not leave the party at that time of crisis and made every effort to handle the party which was breaking up due to Azad.
But by suddenly deciding to replace Wani just before the assembly elections, Congress not only ruined his two years of efforts but also sent a message that there is no point in remaining loyal to the party. When Congress appointed a new president, it appointed a person who has never been able to mold himself as a Congressman. It is worth mentioning that the newly appointed president Tariq Hameed Karra had left the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and joined Congress. But even after joining Congress, he has never been very active.
Karra has never been seen speaking on any issue. His presence on social media has also been very less. The truth is that Karra is not considered a big name in the state politics. Congress was definitely not going to get any big political benefit by suddenly making Karra the president. Still, making him the president was a surprising decision.
Karra is completely new to the entire state Congress, especially the Jammu division unit. He has had very little contact with even the party leaders. After becoming the president, Karra has been able to visit Jammu only twice so far. Karra has not been able to visit any district so far. Karra himself is also contesting the elections. In such a situation, can he do justice to the responsibility given to him as the president?
The interesting fact is that almost every big leader of the state Congress Working Committee is contesting the elections. Apart from Karra, both the working presidents are also busy contesting their respective elections. Congress has made mistakes after mistakes in Jammu and Kashmir. Congress made another big mistake by appointing two working presidents along with the new state president. Raman Bhalla was already working as the working president but Tara Chand was also made the working president along with him. Both belong to the same district.
Tarachand left the party in August 2022 and joined Ghulam Nabi Azad. Later in December 2022, he returned to the party. The question arises that what was the thinking of the Congress in making the person who left the party the working president. Was he rewarded or was there any other big ‘compulsion’? Tarachand was the Deputy Chief Minister in the Congress-National Conference government in the state from 2009 to 2015. During that time, many serious allegations were made against him, to which the Congress used to have a lot of difficulty in answering. But despite all this, Tarachand being made the working president is a big proof of the unclear policies of the Congress. Congress says that Tarachand was made the working president as a leader of the Scheduled Castes. But here also the question arises that if this was to be done then why was Moolaram not made the working president? Moolaram is also senior and has been continuously loyal to the party.
Double standards for Azad’s comrades
Not only this, Congress also adopted a dual policy for the leaders who went with Ghulam Nabi Azad. The leaders who left Azad and returned to Congress in December 2022 were happily embraced by the Congress. Tarachand was also one of them and was once considered to be the closest leader to Azad. Many of those who returned in December 2022, including Tarachand, have also been made Congress candidates this time.
But the doors were closed for those leaders who had left the party along with Ghulam Nabi Azad and wanted to return during the assembly elections.
Prominent among these leaders are Ghulam Mohammad Saruri, Majeed Wani and Jugal Kishore Sharma. Saruri has been contesting elections from Indrawal assembly constituency and has been winning continuously. But Congress did not give him a ticket saying that he had gone with Azad. Saruri is now contesting elections as an independent candidate.
Like Indrawal, the Congress refused to give Jugal Kishor a ticket from Katra-Mata Vaishnodevi only because Jugal Kishor Sharma had also gone with Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Jugal Kishore Sharma has been a cabinet minister in the Congress-PDP government from 2002 to 2008. Jugal Kishore Sharma could have proved to be a strong candidate from Katra-Vaishnodevi seat. But Congress refused to make him their candidate at the last moment. Not only this, Congress has fielded a Rajput candidate from Katra-Vaishnodevi seat even though this is a Brahmin dominated area. Jugal Kishore Sharma was also interested in a ticket from the neighbouring Reasi seat, but Congress did not agree here too and did not give him a ticket.
It is noteworthy that a new seat has been created in Katra-Vaishnodevi delimitation. Earlier this area was a part of Reasi assembly constituency.
While rejecting Jugal Kishore Sharma, Congress made another mistake by fielding a Muslim candidate in a Hindu-dominated seat like Reasi. This decision is also going to prove disastrous for many reasons. The Bharatiya Janata Party is sure to benefit from polarization.
The way seats have been distributed in Congress, there is a clear apprehension that 2014 may be repeated. If this happens, then this situation can certainly be very uncomfortable for Congress.
It is noteworthy that in 2014, Congress had won a total of 12 seats. But none of these 12 MLAs was Hindu. Congress had to face a huge defeat in all the Hindu majority seats.
Actually the problem of Congress is that the party is suffering from a lot of confusion. It seems that it does not know what to do. If it has to stay strong in the current politics, then Congress will have to follow the rules of the current politics. Politics will have to be done according to those rules only.
But if the Congress wants to do politics while appearing moralistic and idealistic, then it will have to explain to its workers that attaining power is not its goal and that it is only fighting for purity in politics. But is this possible in practical politics? Can the workers accept such intellectual things? The Congress should not forget that in the age of astro turf, hockey cannot be played on grass.
The alliance is not working
The alliance with the National Conference is also not showing much benefit. Congress is only suffering losses due to the alliance, especially in the Jammu division where Congress’s pre-election friendship with the National Conference is proving to be a burden. Actually, this alliance is proving to be a very strange kind of alliance. The map of the alliance is such that it shows that Congress joined hands with the National Conference without doing enough ‘homework’. Congress has certainly shown a big heart and has coordinated from its side, but the National Conference has not shown generosity towards it.
There is a ‘friendly’ contest on some seats while Congress has left some seats for National Conference on which Congress could have easily performed well. The case of Banihal assembly seat is very interesting. Former state president of Congress Waqar Rasool Wani is contesting from here. Congress is in full position to win this seat but National Conference has fielded its candidate on this strong seat of Congress and Omar Abdullah himself is coming here to campaign. Not only this, Omar is making sharp attacks on Waqar Rasool Wani. The ground situation tells that at least the case of Banihal is not ‘friendly’.
Similarly, political pundits are surprised by the way Congress has left Jammu North seat of Jammu Nagar for National Conference. The case of Nagrota seat next to Jammu Nagar is even more unique. Here Congress and National Conference have fielded their respective candidates and Bharatiya Janata Party is getting direct benefit of their ‘friendship’.
The way Congress and National Conference have fielded very weak candidates on this seat has made the path of BJP candidate Devendra Singh Rana very easy. Rana is the brother of Union Minister Jitendra Singh and is counted among the powerful leaders of the state. The big question is why Congress and National Conference did not field strong candidates on Nagrota seat? What was the compulsion for both of them to field different candidates on this seat? Who was tried to be benefited here under the guise of ‘friendship’?
Congress has also not balanced the caste equations properly. Rajput candidates were given preference over other people. The Brahmin community has been completely ignored in ticket distribution. The party is also facing a shortage of resources. The party’s publicity machinery is also very weak compared to the Bharatiya Janata Party. The party is also lagging badly on social media platforms.