Azad group’s Vikar Rasool, a three-time MLA from Banihal and GM Saroori former minister and ex-MLA from Inderwal constituency of Kishtwar district likely to be new Chief of Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), as G A Mir on Tuesday step down from the post and sent his resignation to the All-India Congress Committee.
Under the leader of GA Mir as JKPCC Chief, Congress leaders from Azad group never attended even single function of the party organised in J&K. The Azad loyalists were opposing Mir leadership and seeking come back of Azad in J&K politics from Party high command, for party’s revival.
Presently two faces of Azad group are being considered as new boss of JKPCC, Vikar Rasool and G M Saroori. 67 years old Saroori remained MLA from Inderwal constituency from Kishtwar district from 2002 to 2018. Vikar Rasool Wani, is also a three-time MLA from Banihal constituency of Ramban district of Chenab valley area of Jammu division. Saroori was part of Cabinet in Azad led Congress-PDP government and Omar Abdullah led NC-Congress state government of J&K. while Wani has also served as MoS in Omar government.
If one of these leaders appoint as new JKPCC chief it would after a long time when someone from Jammu division to head the JKPCC unit, otherwise the top post remained under control of Kashmiri leaders most of the time.
“We were demanding, change in leadership for long time, but the party high command (Gandhi family), ignored it. During, leadership of Mir as JKPCC chief, congress party suffered a lot, especially during the DDC polls in J&K, as most of candidate recommended by Mir even could not secure their security deposit. We faced humiliation due to nepotism promoted by Mir and his sycophants in state unit”, said a senior congress leader from Jammu, whishing not to be named. “We (Azad group leaders) are not opportunistic, we never changed party like many other who jumped the ship. We fought democratically. We won. Congress will once again regained what we have lost due to the instalment of sycophants to run the crucial unit of the Party”, he said.
