Dissent brews in Congress over district president nominations in Valley, Observers accused of ignoring ground reality

Srinagar, Jan 3, KNT: The nomination of district presidents of the Congress party across Kashmir Valley has triggered discontent within party ranks, with several senior leaders alleging serious lapses in the selection process and questioning the role of party observers deputed to oversee the exercise.

Senior Congress leaders alleged that the observers who visited the Valley to assess the organisational restructuring failed to grasp the ground reality and relied heavily on inputs from the existing party leadership. They claimed that this approach resulted in the sidelining of loyal and long-standing Congress workers, while individuals who were not part of the party until recently were elevated to key organisational positions.

Many Congress leaders told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that some of the newly nominated district presidents were previously associated with other political outfits. They alleged that certain appointees were part of the Apni Party, some had affiliations with the Peoples Conference, while others were considered close to Ghulam Nabi Azad until recently. They said such appointments have caused resentment among grassroots workers who have remained committed to the Congress party over the years.

The leaders alleged that the responsibility for the flawed process lies with the observers, including Ajay Kumar Lalu, Chowdhary Aftab Khan, Sanjay Kapoor, Shameena Shafiq and others, accusing them of failing to independently assess the political and organisational situation on the ground.

Despite the criticism, the Indian National Congress has formally released the list of district presidents for the Valley. As per the list, Aadil Farooq Mir has been appointed as District President Srinagar, Umar Jan for Pulwama, Haji Farooq Mir for Kupwara, Engineer Muzaffar Mir for Budgam, Ajaz Ahmad Sheikh for Ganderbal, Abdul Rashid Lone for Kulgam, Farooq Ahmad Bhat for Anantnag, Shabnum Jan for Pulwama, Advocate Sheikh Farooq for Bandipora and Mir Iqbal for Baramulla.

The disgruntled leaders said the issue has hurt the morale of dedicated party workers and warned that ignoring grassroots sentiment could weaken the party’s organisational structure in the Valley. They demanded a review of the nominations and urged the party high command to intervene to restore confidence among the cadre and supporters. [KNT]