DOST KHAN
Jammu: Mission 44-Pradesh Congress Committee itched for this target to gain entry into the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly ahead of General Elections to Lok Sabha in April-May 2014. But they had no patience to wait and opted for the magic figure of forty-four in Parliament instead. With such a drubbing at the national level, it was expected that Congress will feel humbled for some time but that was not so. The party that could not open up its account in Jammu and Kashmir during parliamentary elections is riding high by shedding the baggage of mis-governance and putting it on the broken shoulders of National Conference.
Pradesh Congress President Saif-ud-Din Soz has claimed that the party had an agenda to serve the people of Jammu and Kashmir but National Conference did not support it. Reason: National Conference feared Congress to have taken credit if Panchyats would have been empowered and elections to local bodies held. His senior leader and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad believes coalition with National Conference was a bad decision. Despite nailing National Conference for all the mess, the Congress is continuing to remain in the government. They should have opted out or let Minister for Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma to step down on the issue of daily rated workers. After all there has been such precedence as latest as on 24th of September 2014 when Nationalist Congress Party withdrew support to Prithvi Raj Chauhan led government in Maharashtra immediately after severing the alliance on 21st July 2014. But Jammu and Kashmir Congress seems to have other priorities. They want to have best of both the worlds. They are condemning the government they are partnering and irony is that Congress leaders think people will believe them. It is insult to political sagacity of the voters who are going to exercise their franchise from a week now. The politicians are making a big mistake of undermining judgment of the people and taking them for granted. The voters are best judges to assess each political actor on his or her merits. They have not forgotten when both Congress and National Conference walked hand in hand during electioneering to six parliamentary seats. That was the time when both these parties were taking credit for everything, notwithstanding the inherent bickering. How come the change of hearts? Even chameleons must be taking time in changing colours!
The silent tug of war between the coalition partners, which was just for the pleasure of Madam Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi, impacted governance terribly. There was never ever any semblance of administration as the parties concerned remained busy in pulling rug out of the feet of other. The past six years were wasted on the euphoria on revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and empowerment of Panchayats by implementing 73rd Amendment of the Indian Constitution. None of the two, however, materialised. The AFSPA revocation will serve the purpose of National Conference during ongoing elections while Congress shall keep on brooding over depriving Panchayats of their empowerment in a bid to gain support.
With politicians raking up emotive slogans and indulging in blame game in this season of elections, the frustrated voter is waiting to have his last laugh.
