JAMMU: Congress was not defeated by the BJP, NC or PDP but by the people within the party due to factionalism and also by sidelining the workers while the party was in rule.
This was stated by Jammu and Kashmir Congress Chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir while addressing one-day convention of District Congress here on Sunday.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad was also present.
Mir said, “Congress has been damaged from within by our own people. I will have zero-tolerance against those people who are out to damage the party even if it would be my close people”.
Mir, who took over as the State party Chief in March this year following debacle in Assembly polls in the state said, “During my over 60 days of assessment after taking over as Party chief, I found two main reasons for debacle of Congress in Assembly polls”.
“While one is factionalism within the party and another is ignoring Congress workers by the party leadership while party was in rule, he said.
“Since 2002, Congress was in rule for 12 years, we had Ministers, MoSs and people at top places in the state government but we ignored workers and activists and gave no respect and dignity to them,” Mir said.
“They were behind our victory in 2002 and 2008 assembly elections but they were lax during 2014 elections which resulted in our defeat,” state Congress Chief said.
Calling for ending factionalism and respecting party workers, Mir said that we should close five and six doors of powers and factions in Congress to make it powerful.
“Workers are backbone of Congress and we will empower them”, he said. “I am grass root worker and my first important party component is my grass root worker.”
On his being made party president, he said “I have not come via parachute to head Congress but I am grass root worker. I am not son of any Minister or anybody else”.
Azad complimented Mir for his being made party Chief in J and K and said, “Mir is grass root level worker and have activated and given boost to morale of the workers in just two months period”.
Azad however, said that factionalism is a national ailment in the Congress party and time has come to stamped it out.