Custodial Death: Omar In Pain, Congress Eyes Gain

Custodial death of National Conference worker, Syed Mohammad Yousuf has fuelled the sleeping aspirations of not only the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir but also the friend and ally, Congress. The alliance partner of Abdullah’s National Conference seems to be allying with the PDP of Mehbooba Mufti, although, covertly, in keeping Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in discomfort. As the plot is thickening over the death of Syed Yousuf after Abdullah Junior handed him over to police, the Congress leaders of Kashmir have begun to romanticize their brightening prospects anticipating the downfall of their ally and friend in state politics. Even the political observers in the
state feel that the Congress could be the real beneficiary of the ongoing crisis, which got worsened on Saturday morning, when Omar Abdullah’s police resorted to baton charge the PDP protestors demanding his resignation. The separatists, too, have joined Mehbooba Mufti in baying for Omar’s blood.

Now, consider this. Omar Abdullah will be completing his half tenure of six years in first week of January next year giving the Congress an opportunity to think of taking the relay baton from an alienated chief minister, though the two parties are not at an agreement of transfer of power like the one that the congress had with the PDP in the previous regime. The great opportunist party, that the congress is, will not shy away from making things practically unworkable for Omar Abdullah. And, if the signals emerging from both the Congress headquarters and the stakeholders in the Jammu and Kashmir politics are to be believed, the party is well on its course.

The only thing that is perhaps withholding the Congressmen from the valley from speaking their minds out is Rahul Gandhi’s personal friendship with Omar Abdullah and the former’s apparent commitment to the latter to keep intact his chair till the very last workable situation in the state. But, during his recent visit to the valley, Rahul Gandhi had give a patient hearing to Congress leaders wishing for a change of guard in Srinagar.

Notwithstanding, some of the state Congress leaders have started openly demanding a Congress chief minister in Jammu and Kashmir post-January, 2012 subject to approval by party president, Sonia Gandhi. This demand had begun as early as in May and June this year, when state Congress leaders asked for rotation of Chief Minister’s chair as they were unhappy with Omar capturing all the limelight with Congressmen being treated only as poor cousins in the corridors of power in the state. And, senior leaders including Dr Karan Singh, Saifuddin Soz and Makhan Lal Fotedar had assured the junior leaders of conveying their sentiments to the party high command in New Delhi. The views have come to take deeper grounds now in party headquarters and lobbying is underway to convince the top leadership to think on those lines and negotiate with the Abdullahs.

Also at work are two old camps of J&K Congress, namely those of union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and J&K PCC president Saifuddin Soz with former in being favour at the 10, Janpath. Soz supporters find a realistic chance for him to get the coveted seat in Srinagar, but sources also indicate strongly that Azad may be interested in the job if hints come from the top. This internal tussle for supremacy in Srinagar may prove beneficial for Omar Abdullah but then PDP is also, according to sources close to Mehbooba Mufti, ready to support a Congress government should National Conference be dumped. So, the Congress is weighing its options while Omar tries hard to save his chair and salvage his image and re-enforce his command in the state. The political situation in Jammu and Kashmir looks tailor-made for a Congress comeback lest Omar finds a magic wand to ward off all the ‘evil’ forces.

Sonia Appears Before Gandhi

Congress president Sonia Gandhi made her first public appearance on Sunday after her surgery in the United States recently. Along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the UPA chief paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 142nd birth anniversary at Rajghat.

Sonia returned to India on September 08. Since then, Sonia had avoided public meetings and functions even though the UPA government witnessed a bitter clash between two of its senior ministers. She dealt with the crisis but stayed away from public giving rise to speculations that Sonia may be planning to pass on the mantle of the party to her son, Rahul Gandhi. Sundayz public appearance is being viewed as a signal that Sonia is still at the helm of the affairs both in the congress party and the UPA.

Sonia Gandhi is still recuperating from her surgery, but she has got herself into handling issues plaguing the Manmohan Singh govt including infighting and court developments in 2G scam and cash for votes scandal. Sonia is said to be working on alternate plans for a possible adverse court judgements post-Dussehra vacation, when hearing on several scams resume. The forced patch between two senior cabinet ministers over secret 2G note, effected by Sonia Gandhi last week was part of her alternate plans to navigate the government's ship through the turbulent waters of scandals and scams.

Sonia Gandhi's partial resumption of party work and her first public appearance at Rajghat on Mahatma Gandhi's 142nd anniversary comes at a time when the opposition is going berserk in its criticism of the scam tainted UPA government. Her public appearance also came a couple of days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alleged that there are forces at work to destabilize the government. With this in backdrop, Sonia Gandhiz appearance before Mahatma Gandhi's samadhi seems to be an attempt to make an emphatic statement that she is not losing grip over nation's politics.

Sonia Gandhi had given indications of taking command of the party affairs some days ago itself when she summoned Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the wake of Bharatpur communal violence and two state ministers being dragged into controversies surrounding women, one of them is traceless while the other has died. Also, Sonia Gandhi called on Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar last week, which according to sources yielded into Kumar giving sanction to prosecute BJP MP Ashok Argal in the cash for votes scandal. Clearly, Sonia wants to put her message in a very straightforward style, that has been typical of her in past two decades.