Discontent among youth leaders of the National Conference (NC) came to the fore after the announcement of assembly constituency in-charges followed by Dr. Farooq Abdullah's decision to resign from the post of party president.
After former MLA from Ganderbal Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar broke his silence and revealed brewing anger among dedicated workers, Sameer Iqbal Bhat, zone president of the Youth National Conference (North), resigned from the post as well as from the basic membership of the J&K's oldest political party.
"Incumbent leadership in the party is brazenly pursuing dynastic politics. I am against dynastic politics. Recently the constituency in-charges appointed by the party leadership are only friends and family members of senior leaders", Bhat told The International Bussiness Times.
"Instead of encouraging the promising youth leaders, the incumbent leadership in the party is trying to install only family members of senior leaders", he said and revealed that many leaders are going to submit their resignations in the days to come against the attitude of senior leaders.
In a hard-hitting letter written to party president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Bhat said that NC has failed to come up to the expectations of the masses.
"With a very heavy heart, I am bidding farewell to the party I joined back in 2017 with high hopes that the JKNC represents the aspirations of the people and this is the party that has always defended the rights and identity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir", Bhat stated.
He said that after August 5, 2-019, residents of J&K were looking towards it as the only hope but the party was brazenly running for power instead of fulfilling the wishes and aspirations of the people.
"The least I can do is register my protest by resigning from the post of Zonal President JKYNC North Kashmir and even from the basic membership of the party and continue my fight for the restoration of the lost dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir", he stated.
"While bidding farewell I still hope and pray that the JKNC leadership someday realizes the importance of representing the aspirations of the people over running after power", Bhat stated in his letter.
More leaders are likely to resign in days to come
Sources in the NC said that Sameer Iqbal Bhat has opened a floodgate as many promising leaders are going to quit the party because senior leaders are indulged in projecting only their family members. "It is almost certain that Omar Abdullah will be installed as party president in place of Dr. Farooq Abdullah", a source said and added that already established senior leaders would install their family members in their respective areas so the future of emerging youth leaders is bleak in the party.
Sheikh Jabbar already termed incumbent NC leadership as "incompetent"
Annoyed party leader and former MLA from Ganderbal Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar has already raised a banner of revolt against the party leadership.
The NC leader recently told a local news agency that the party's present leadership is "incompetent" to deal with the affairs within the party.
"Though I have been in politics for a long, I have been maintaining silence for quite some time. I am not in slumber. I will expose everyone at an appropriate time", he asserted.
