Ahead of the assembly polls, the Congress has made a significant decision in Jammu and Kashmir by appointing Tariq Hamid Karra as the new JKPCC chief, replacing Vikar Rasool.
This move follows a meeting in New Delhi, where AICC leaders met with Rasool and former JKPCC chief G.A. Mir.
Rasool's removal comes after several J&K Congress leaders expressed dissatisfaction with his leadership style.
Some of them lodged complaints against Rasool to the AICC during the August 8 meeting in New Delhi. The meeting occurred after Congress representatives met with Election Commission of India (ECI) officials, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, in Srinagar to demand timely elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Karra, a former J&K Finance Minister, had also written to the party high command expressing his concerns about Rasool.
According to an order issued by K.C. Venugopal, the General Secretary of the Congress, Karra will now serve as the JKPCC president, while Tara Chand and Raman Bhalla have been appointed as Working Presidents. Rasool has been appointed as a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee.
Rasool was named JKPCC president in August 2022, during a period when several Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir joined the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), led by former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.
However, some of them have since rejoined the Congress. Rasool faced allegations from some Congress leaders of marginalising them, which led to factionalism within the party and concern from the High Command.
Sources suggest that the party's decision to remove Rasool was aimed at ensuring unity within the ranks to improve the party's performance in the upcoming assembly polls. Factionalism had reportedly demoralized the party cadre, despite their successful efforts in mobilising support during the Lok Sabha elections. Although the Congress lost both seats to the BJP, its vote share saw a significant increase, while the BJP's vote share declined.
The Congress led in seven assembly segments in the Lok Sabha elections, including on seats that the BJP had won in the previous assembly polls. The Congress has started the process of finding candidates for the assembly polls. Sources said the party is interested in seeking an alliance with the regional parties, especially the National Conference (NC). The NC and the Congress had supported each other in the Lok Sabha polls. The NC's support to the Congress had helped the Congress improve its vote share.
