Raising doubts over the coalition Government’s future stability in Jammu & Kashmir, ladakh’s Member of Parliament Haji Hassan Khan has resigned to involve himself in regional politics aimed at weakening Congress sway in the mountainous region.
Khan successfully contested ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil polls last month and was elected as councilor. But political manoeuvering by the Congress forced his party National Conference to give up claim for forming the Hill Council, an autonomous district level administration that has State-Government like powers in administrative matters. Khan was eyeing the Chief Executive Councilor’s (CEC) position, which has the Cabinet Minister’s protocol.
Interestingly, Khan, a former police officer decided to quit his Parliament seat to pursue his politics as councilor, representing a remote hamlet in Batalik quarter of Kargil.Sources said that Khan tendered his resignation at Speaker Meira Kumar’s office at Parliament last week. Kumar did not take a decision due to her engagements out of New Delhi.
Khan’s resignation would not bear any impact at the State level as the next Parliament elections are due in April. The by-elections will not be held for the lone ladakh seat.
However, his resignation indicates that the Congress-NC coalition is on a sticky wicket and it is likely that the coalition would no longer remain intact after the Parliamentary and Assembly elections.
Khan would have become the CEC as the NC had requisite numbers to stake claim in the 26-member lAHDC but the Congress pressurised the party High Command in Srinagar forcing CM Omar to buckle under pressure. This eventually helped Congress leader Asgar Ali Karbalae to take over as the CEC. The NC councilors abstained the general council meeting where Karbalae staked claim for the formation of Hill Council.
The 26-member lAHDC-K results were announced on August 28 with a fractured mandate with the Congress bagging 10 while the NC and Independents bagging eight seats each. The Congress later managed the support of five Independents while the NC secured support of three Independents. Interestingly, the NC nominated four members to the council, which had tilted the balance heavily towards the party. However, the NC surrendered its claim to form the Hill Council when the Congress top brass exerted pressure and threatened to break coalition at the State level. Even as the NC succumbed to pressure to pave way for Karbalae, it maintained that the nominated members would retain the voting rights in the lAHDC. The Congress is objecting to the “arbitrary” nomination of four members.
Sources said that Khan is likely to throw a surprise anytime by using the voting rights of these four nominated members to topple Karbalae, who took oath in mid-September.
Khan’s resignation as MP indicates that coalition in J&K is in doldrums and there is likelihood that Congress would not support the NC in formation of next Government in the State.
“This time, the NC sacrificed in Kargil to save Omar Government but if tomorrow the Congress withdraws its support, how would the Hill Council in Kargil remain unaffected,” Bashir Ahmad, a keen ladakh watcher told The Pioneer. Khan’s resignation came at a time when Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad indicated that the Congress has options open to form a coalition with the NC or PDP. This has sounded alarm bells in the NC circles.
Hassan Khan was elected to Parliament in April 2004 as an Independent but he aligned with the NC and remained part of the UPA. His son, Feroz Khan is NC’s Zanaskar MlA and a junior Minister in Omar Abdullah’s Cabinet.
Raising doubts over the coalition Government’s future stability in Jammu & Kashmir, ladakh’s Member of Parliament Haji Hassan Khan has resigned to involve himself in regional politics aimed at weakening Congress sway in the mountainous region.
Khan successfully contested ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil polls last month and was elected as councilor. But political manoeuvering by the Congress forced his party National Conference to give up claim for forming the Hill Council, an autonomous district level administration that has State-Government like powers in administrative matters. Khan was eyeing the Chief Executive Councilor’s (CEC) position, which has the Cabinet Minister’s protocol.
Interestingly, Khan, a former police officer decided to quit his Parliament seat to pursue his politics as councilor, representing a remote hamlet in Batalik quarter of Kargil. Sources said that Khan tendered his resignation at Speaker Meira Kumar’s office at Parliament last week. Kumar did not take a decision due to her engagements out of New Delhi.
Khan’s resignation would not bear any impact at the State level as the next Parliament elections are due in April. The by-elections will not be held for the lone ladakh seat. However, his resignation indicates that the Congress-NC coalition is on a sticky wicket and it is likely that the coalition would no longer remain intact after the Parliamentary and Assembly elections.
Khan would have become the CEC as the NC had requisite numbers to stake claim in the 26-member lAHDC but the Congress pressurised the party High Command in Srinagar forcing CM Omar to buckle under pressure. This eventually helped Congress leader Asgar Ali Karbalae to take over as the CEC. The NC councilors abstained the general council meeting where Karbalae staked claim for the formation of Hill Council.
The 26-member lAHDC-K results were announced on August 28 with a fractured mandate with the Congress bagging 10 while the NC and Independents bagging eight seats each. The Congress later managed the support of five Independents while the NC secured support of three Independents. Interestingly, the NC nominated four members to the council, which had tilted the balance heavily towards the party. However, the NC surrendered its claim to form the Hill Council when the Congress top brass exerted pressure and threatened to break coalition at the State level. Even as the NC succumbed to pressure to pave way for Karbalae, it maintained that the nominated members would retain the voting rights in the lAHDC. The Congress is objecting to the “arbitrary” nomination of four members.
Sources said that Khan is likely to throw a surprise anytime by using the voting rights of these four nominated members to topple Karbalae, who took oath in mid-September.Khan’s resignation as MP indicates that coalition in J&K is in doldrums and there is likelihood that Congress would not support the NC in formation of next Government in the State.
“This time, the NC sacrificed in Kargil to save Omar Government but if tomorrow the Congress withdraws its support, how would the Hill Council in Kargil remain unaffected,” Bashir Ahmad, a keen ladakh watcher told The Pioneer. Khan’s resignation came at a time when Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad indicated that the Congress has options open to form a coalition with the NC or PDP. This has sounded alarm bells in the NC circles.
Hassan Khan was elected to Parliament in April 2004 as an Independent but he aligned with the NC and remained part of the UPA. His son, Feroz Khan is NC’s Zanaskar MlA and a junior Minister in Omar Abdullah’s Cabinet.