Several Congress leaders in Jammu and Kashmir considered to be close to senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad have revolted against the state unit chief G.A. Mir and submitted their resignations from all posts to the party top brass.
A senior Congress leader in Kashmir told THE WEEK that several leaders from Kashmir and Jammu regions have sent their resignations in a letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and AICC J&K in-charge secretary Rajni Patil.
“We have submitted our resignations and explained in detail why we have taken such a step,” the Congress leader said. “We have not heard from the party leadership after we sent the resignation letter.”
He said their resignations from all posts was in protest against not providing them an opportunity of being heard about the party matters in Jammu and Kashmir.
Some of the leaders who have submitted the resignations are G.M. Saroori, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Vikar Rasool, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Monga, Naresh Gupta, Subash Gupta, Amin Bhat, Anwar Bhat and Inayat Ali.
According to sources, in the resignation letter, the leaders have alleged that under the leadership of Mir, the party suffered a decline.
They have alleged that the party has performed poorly in elections to Parliament, DDC, BDC, panchayats and urban local bodies. They have alleged that the Congress couldn't form even a single council in Jammu and Kashmir.
They claimed the Congress is heading towards a disastrous situation and ever since Mir took over, more than 200 leaders, including former ministers, MLAs, MLCs, PCC office-bearers, district presidents and AICC members have resigned from the party and joined other parties.
Sources said the aggrieved leaders have mentioned in the resignation letter “unscrupulous sycophants have captured and hijacked the functioning of PCC”.
They have alleged that the party positions were distributed without consultation of senior leaders and sitting MLAs and MLCs (members of legislative council or upper house of assembly, which was abolished after the state was demoted to a UT). The leaders have also taken a dig at Mir and said while he lost the Parliament elections, his son failed to win the DDC polls in his home constituency.
Sources said the leaders have alleged that despite repeated attempts including personal requests to Rahul Gandhi during his visits to Jammu and Kashmir, the party top leadership didn’t entertain their request to hear them out. They have said the matter was also brought to the notice of Patil, but no attention was paid.
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A Congress leader from Jammu said these ‘rebel’ leaders believed Azad is more suited to lead the party in Jammu and Kashmir in the upcoming elections as he enjoys support in both the regions and also among Muslims and Hindus.