Murmurs of early Assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir have started gaining momentum. Giving clear cut hints of early polls in the State, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday advised party cadre to pull up their socks and work ‘unitedly’ to win as many seats in the Assembly polls as they are round the corner.
In a ‘crisp’ and straight message, Ghulam Nabi Azad said in a party convention, “Only few months are left with you. The J&K Government and the ruling party in the State are almost ready to go for the polls. You also utilise coming months to consolidate your base in your constituencies and focus only on winning maximum seats. Do not waste time on finding answers to questions who will become Chief Minister.” AICC general secretary incharge of J&K affairs Ambika Soni and PCC chief Prof Saif Ud Din Soz were present in the daylong convention of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) in Jammu.
The Assembly elections in the State are due in November-December 2014.
During their addresses, both Azad and Ambika Soni also made it clear to the party workers that the Congress would contest elections on all the 87 Assembly seats in J&K, a clear cut indication that the party leadership was not keen on forging any pre-poll alliance with the National Conference. According to Congress leaders present in the meeting, Azad is learnt to have warned the party cadre that “it is going to be a tough challenge. You have to work hard in each constituency to emerge victorious. It will not be a cake walk for you everywhere.”
The Congress faces challenge from two regional parties in Kashmir Valley and in pockets of Jammu region while it is locked in straight fight with BJP in areas of Jammu region.During the daylong meeting, the party leaders also reviewed constituency wise strength of the Congress and directed the party workers to spend time for next two months to list out the local issues in each constituency.
Interacting with the media, Ambika Soni said, “During the convention she got the opportunity to gather feedback from Jammu-based party workers and leaders. We will organise a similar convention in Kashmir and ladakh to interact with the party cadre before taking a final call on forging an alliance with any party in the coming lok Sabha or Assembly polls”.
On the question of timing of the lok Sabha polls Azad, however, made it clear that the same would be held as per the schedule. There is no question of preponing the lok Sabha polls in the country at this stage, Azad told reporters at the end of the convention.
On the occasion the party adopted five resolutions and reiterated the demand of incorporating 73rd amendment in the J&K Panchayati Raj Act to fully empower the people at the grassroots level. Ambika Soni told reporters, “PCC chief Prof Soz had recently written a letter to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on July 26, 2013 urging him to hold Block Development Council and District Development Board polls under a fixed timeframe after incorporating provisions of 73 rd amendment in the State Act.
She made it clear that the party would not make it an election issue. “It is part of our commitment and listed in the party manifesto of 2008 Assembly polls we want Omar Abdullah Government to act on it at the earliest,” Soni said setting the tone of future engagement with the alliance partner.