Congress Sunday stated that the former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and state party chief Saif-ud-din Soz are the senior voices of the party in JK and the duo can contest the upcoming elections ‘any time’ and ‘any where’, if the need arises.The senior leader and state Congress’s official spokesman Ravindar Sharma told KNS that both Azad and Soz are busy at present in strengthening the party on ground in the state and to boost the morale of party’s cadre for the upcoming elections. “The entire Congress party this time is undergoing the hectic schedule for the preparations of assembly elections in the state. Soz sahib and Azad sahib are the most senior voices the party has in the fore front. Both can contest the polls anytime and from anywhere if the need arises,” Sharma said.
Commenting over the reports that the name of late Choudary Mohammad Aslam was surfaced in the Congress list as the Congress legislative party (CLP) leader, Sharma stated the fact is that Mohammad Sharief Niyaz was already given the responsibility of CLP leader and that when Niyaz was appointed on the post, Mr Choudary was not in a better health condition. “As are mark of respect to the Congress veteran who has remarkably rendered his services for the party since long, his name was not erased in the list. Otherwise, the Congress had already given the responsibility of CPL leader to Mr Niyaz.”
Over the Kounsar Nag controversy due to which life in valley was crippled for a day in valley because of the strike all issued by the separatists, Congress’s official spokesman stated that some parties in the state have the ‘vested interests’ and are hell bent upon creating the situation that could have the effect upon the coming elections as was done in the year 2008. “Some parties here want to communalize the situation and they have the communal agenda. Congress has cautioned the people of the state that the attempts could be made to create such atmosphere that could fan the communal fires in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Sharma maintained further that the party is in a process of observing the ground situation in valley for the selection of the candidates for upcoming polls. “The hectic deliberations are going on in every assembly segment of the state and we are also consulting the masses for the selection of candidates across the assembly segments of JK. Even at the places where we have the sitting ministers, surveys are being conducted for choosing of suitable candidate.” (KNS)