NEW DELHI, Sep 4: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is in trouble as the Congress in its coalition government is having a rethink on the wholesome support he was extended despite public wrath and the heartburns of its state unit. Congress leaders, over past three months had continuously stood steadfast behind the Chief Minister.
A top Congress source says it is a matter of time before the party dumps him because of a combination of political factors and intelligence reports that he has failed to infuse confidence in the administration and the general public despite full backing of the Centre.
Denying the myth that Congress President Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul Gandhi want him to reign come what may, the source said the party's core group at a recent meeting concluded that it is mis-governance of past one-and-half years in J&K that has led to the current uprising in the valley. Leaders were, however, averse to have any truck with
Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), describing her as “naïve” and “puerile.”
“Yes, our stand has been to back Omar Abdullah government fully since the violence started in Srinagar. Democratically elected governments cannot be suspended or dismissed at whims. But even after our unflinching support, if the Chief Minister is not able to put the house in order, the situation calls for a review,” a senior leader said, stressing that “our view about the Chief Minister is certainly changing.”
He pointed out that Omar Abdullah was extended an unprecedented and unmatched support of the Centre that no other chief minister, not even one belonging to Congress, enjoyed despite the administrative failures and violence reigning streets of Kashmir for over three months.
Past chief ministers or prime ministers from Khawja Shamsuddin to Dr Farooq Abdullah were shown the door for even minor mistakes. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is believed to have recalled at the meeting how Ghulam Mohammed Bakhshi who had the longest stint of 11 years as J&K PM was packed out of Kashmir politics by Jawaharlal Nehru following the holy relic agitation in 1963-64.
Sources say an unintended wrong signal went out at a recent Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting that Sonia Gandhi does not want to hear anything against the young chief minister because she appeared restless when Home Minister P Chidambaram made a point that the party will have to look beyond Omar Abdullah. His stress was that the Congress will have to review its unflinching love towards Omar as no amount of force he rushes to Kashmir to quell disturbances will help in absence of an effective administration.
It was her apparent indifference that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also gone into the shell, refusing to spell out his Kashmir plans, sources said. In fact, he had advocated continuation of the tie-up with PDP after the Assembly elections, backed by AICC General Secretary Prithviraj Chavan, incharge of Kashmir affairs. He did not protest but he felt bad that he was not even consulted before deciding to anoint Omar head the next government. The deal between 10 Janpath and Abdullahs was sewed up by Union Minister of State Sachin Pilot, who is married to Omar's sister.
An aide of the Chief Minister, also here recently boasted that he (Omar) had an unmatched access in the corridors of power in Delhi. The kind of access, no chief minister of J&K has enjoyed in the past. Therefore, they believe he was tailor made to prove a vehicle to settle the issue of Kashmir forever. They further claim that Congress president has promised every support towards this endeavour to the extent of sacrificing her own party in the State.
“The problem (Kashmir issue) was created by Sheikh Abdullah (grand father of Chief Minister), he is now destined as last Abdullah in power in Srinagar to conclude this problem for ever,” claims Chief Minister’s acolytes.
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