JAMMU: Will the Congress lose its sheen and secular character if a Hindu is appointed as Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President? Why has the Pradesh Congress Committee in this part of the country always had a Muslim President and that too predominantly from the Kashmir Valley, despite the party’s once-robust base in Hindu-majority Jammu? In fact, only twice in its history has the Congress appointed leaders from the Jammu region as PCC presidents-and even then, both were Muslims: Choudhary Aslam and Ghulam Nabi Azad. Not a single Hindu leader from Jammu has ever been given the opportunity to lead the Pradesh Congress.
This ‘secular’ fault line within the party, has hugely eroded the trust and confidence among its Jammu-based workers and voters, which is why the Congress performance in the 2024 Assembly elections has left many within its own ranks soul-searching for answers. Among the core grievances brewing within the Congress cadre is a decades-old question that has now reached a boiling point:
This discontent is not without historical merit. Since 1947, JKPCC has seen an uninterrupted tradition of appointing Muslim leaders to helm the Pradesh unit. Jammu, which contributes a significant portion of Congress’s voter base, particularly among Hindus, has repeatedly been bypassed in the selection of the PCC chief.
The Assembly elections of 2024 served as a wake-up call. The Congress party faced an unprecedented rout in the Jammu region, a clear signal from the electorate that the party’s internal leadership biases had gone too far. Many observers and party insiders now agree that the refusal to allow a Hindu leader from Jammu to head the PCC was perceived as a betrayal, resulting in voters punishing the party at the EVM booths.
Adding fuel to this fire is the controversial role of the current Pradesh Congress President, Tariq Hamid Karra. His tenure has been marked not only by political underperformance but by divisive rhetoric and actions that many allege have been blatantly anti-Jammu, and anti-Dalit..
Karra’s perceived disdain for the sentiments and sensitivities of the Jammu electorate has made him a lightning rod for criticism. The party insiders claim that his leadership has alienated core Congress supporters, widened the trust deficit with weaker sections, and caused irreparable damage to the party’s image in the region. His insistence on pushing a Valley-centric narrative has not only reinforced regional imbalance but has also led to the marginalization of the very cadre that once formed the spine of the Congress in Jammu. Even in the Valley, senior party functionaries are deserting and exploring opportunities in other parties.
The damage is not just electoral. Organizationally, the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir is fractured and demoralized. Discontent is no longer simmering-it is boiling over. Senior Congress leaders, particularly from Jammu, have expressed their frustration behind closed doors and are now beginning to publicly question the party’s top leadership on their choices. Grassroots workers feel ignored and humiliated, with several even threatening to leave the party if corrective measures are not taken immediately.
There is also growing resentment over the perception that the Congress high command continues to pander to a particular regional and religious leadership at the cost of broader inclusivity. The party’s unwillingness to correct this imbalance is increasingly being seen as a reflection of its inability to evolve and adapt to changing political realities. If the Congress is serious about reclaiming political relevance in Jammu and Kashmir, it must begin by addressing the genuine grievances of its base. The demand is not communal or sectarian-it is about fairness, inclusion, and political justice.
Appointing a capable Hindu leader from Jammu as the next Pradesh Congress Committee president will not just be a symbolic gesture-it is a political imperative. It is a necessary course correction that can begin the process of healing the deep wounds of neglect and restore some measure of credibility to the party in the eyes of Jammu’s electorate. Until then, the Congress in Jammu will continue to hemorrhage support, crippled by a leadership model that no longer represents the aspirations or realities of the people it seeks to serve.
