Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad resigns from J&K Campaign Committee right after its formation

In a big setback for Congress, senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned as the chairman of the newly constituted campaign committee, Republic learnt on Tuesday. Sources told the channel that Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from the committee because he was not taken into confidence by the Congress high command in the constitution of the committee. Former MLA Mohd Amin Bhat also resigned from Coordination Committee. According to sources, the promises made to Azad camp were not delivered.

Senior Congress leader and former MLA Haji Rashid Dar, miffed with Congress top brass for ignoring him, tendered his resignation from basic membership of party, sources informed.

Earlier in the day, the high command approved the Consitution of Campaign Committee, Political Affairs Committee, Co-ordination Committee, Manifesto Committee, Publicity and Publication Committee, Disciplinary Committee, and Pradesh Election Committee of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee. 

Besides, the party replaced Ghulam Mir Azad with Vikar Rasool Wani, a loyalist of Ghulam Nabi Azad as the party's president for the region. The former had tendered his resignation last month and the All India Congress Committee appointed Vikar Rasool Wani, a Ghulam Nabi Azad loyalist, as the party's President. 

Elections soon in J&K?

The rejig comes despite the slim hopes of Assembly Elections taking place in Jammu and Kashmir this year as the Election Commission on August 10 revised the date for publishing the final electoral rolls to November 25 from October 31. The Election Commission had earlier announced the publication of the final electoral rolls of J&K on October 31, but the revised schedule of special summary revision says that the rolls will be published on September 15 and the final rolls published on November 25.

Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected Assembly since November 2018 when the House was dissolved after PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti staked claim to form a government with the support of various Valley-based parties. The Governor’s rule was imposed on the state in June 2018 after the BJP pulled out of the Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government.

Elections for the assembly were put on hold following the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A in August 2017, which ended Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. The commencement of the delimitation exercise that was recently completed had raised hopes of early elections.