To bring peace among the warring factions in the Jammu and Kashmir unit the Congress high command appointed Vikar Rasool Wani as the new president of the party for the Union Territory (UT) unit but the initiative appeared to be backfired as dissidents continue to submit their resignations.
Vikar Rasool Wani is considered a staunch supporter of dissident leader and party stalwart Ghulam Nabi Azad but many leaders, who owe their loyalty to Azad, have openly opposed the appointment of Wani as J&K party chief.
Within minutes after the appointment of Vikar Rasool as the new J&K party chief, former MLA Sopore Abdul Rashid Dar resigned from the basic membership of the party.
Former MLAs Gulzar Ahmed Wani and Choudhary Mohd Akram have already resigned from the Pradesh Election Committee, which was constituted with the appointment of Wani as J&K party chief.
In another setback for Congress, former Minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori refused to assume the post of convenor of the Campaign Committee of the party's J&K unit.
A staunch supporter of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Saroori served as a two-time MLA from the Inderwal constituency of the Kishtwar district. He is a mass leader in the Kishtwar district. The rift in the party came to the fore after Azad did not agree to take charge as the Campaign Committee chairman.
Azad resigned within minutes after he was appointed as campaign committee chief
Within minutes after the Congress high command issued a written order regarding his appointment as chairman of the campaign committee, Azad refused to accept this responsibility.
Even as the name of Vikar Rasool was recommended by Azad himself, he was annoyed over the way Congress high command mistreated him despite his services to the party for around four decades.
Reports said that instead of taking Azad into confidence before announcing various committees for J&K, high command constituted all panels without sharing any information with the former leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Azad remained an AICC Working Committee member for 37 years and is considered one of the tallest leaders in the country.
Sources further said that Azad was disappointed over the way Congress high command did not give an ear to his suggestions for strengthening the party at the grass root level.
Azad's loyalist Tara Chand attends Vikar's coronation
Amid resignations of dissidents, former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, who is a staunch loyalist of Ghulam Nabi Azad, attended the coronation of the newly appointed Pradesh Congress Committee chief Vikar Rasool Wani at Srinagar on Sunday.
Tara Chand, who has been boycotting all official functions of the party for the last two years, stunned everyone in the Congress when he reached Srinagar to attend the coronation of Vikar Rasool.
Tara Chand came from Jammu to attend the function to give a message to the high command that he is no more associated with the group of leaders, who owe their allegiance to Ghulam Nabi Azad.
