Cong appoints district heads, ‘adjusts’ loyalists

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 31

The much-delayed appointments of district presidents of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee were made on Tuesday with the Congress high command trying to strike a balance by ‘accommodating’ leaders of all warring factions.

After the resignation of Sham Lal Sharma as the committee vice-president on May 21 this year, the Congress leadership was delaying appointments of district presidents to ‘satisfy’ all factions by ‘accommodating’ loyalists of senior leaders on different posts. While resigning as PCC vice-president, Sham Lal had charged the party leadership with projecting only sycophants at the cost of mass base leaders.

Sources said keeping in view the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress high command with the consultations of committee chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir announced district presidents by ‘adjusting’ loyalists of senior leaders.

“Although efforts have been made to strike a balance, infighting is likely to be intensified in the coming days because some potential candidates were ignored by the leadership just to accommodate all factions,” a senior Congress leader, who wished not to be quoted, told The Tribune, adding, “some senior leaders have adjusted their loyalists at the cost of deserving candidates”.

According to an official handout issued by Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot, party president Rahul Gandhi has appointed district presidents in all districts of J&K. The newly appointed district presidents include T Namgyal-Leh, Nasir Hussain-Kargil, Farooq Mir-Kupwara, Shoiab Lone-Baramulla, Imtiyaz Parray-Bandipora, Shail Farooq-Ganderbal, Irfan Naqib-Srinagar, Fayaz Ahmed Dar-Pulwama, Abdul Qayoom Shah-Shopian, Farooq Bhat-Kulgam, Ghulam Mohidin Bhat-Anantnag, Mohinder Parihar-Kishtwar, Shabir Khan-Rajouri, Abdul Gani-Poonch, Kewal Singh-Reasi, Farooq Katoch-Ramban, Vikram Malhotra-Jammu urban, Hari Singh Chib-Jammu rural, Manjit Singh-Samba, Manohar Lal Sharma-Kathua, Krishan Chand Bhagat-Udhampur and Sheikh Mujeeb-Doda.