Rampant faction war in the State unit of Congress has made the situation in Jammu and Kashmir extremely worried for the Congress high command, especially in the context of upcoming Assembly polls.KNS has learnt that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi has expressed displeasure over the infighting between the state Congress ministers and cautioned them to resolve their differences before Assembly polls.Talking to KNS, AICC General Secretary Ambika Soni said it is unfortunate that the Jammu and Kashmir Congress leaders are not obeying the high command’s instructions. “The infighting is not acceptable for the party. They should abstain from making controversial statements in public which are causing huge damages to the party,” she said.
Meanwhile, senior congress leader and close aide of Sonia Gandhi told KNS that the Congress high command has expressed serious discontent over the controversies between the state congress men. “Sonia has discussed the issue with senior leaders related to Kashmir affairs over the past two days. The Congress high command, which considers the coming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections a crucial one, doesn't want infighting. Sonia is not happy with the state leaders for taking parallel routes and trying to outsmart each other over the issues,” he said.Sources said the senior Congress leaders have informed party vice-president Rahul Gandhi through a communication that the party could suffer considerable losses in the Assembly elections due to the infightings.
“The leaders had told the high command that the rampant group wars in the party, mainly the one between the Sham Lal Sharma and Taj Mohiuden has permeated into district levels and even further to the lower stratum of the organization which would seriously hit the election preparations,” sources told KNS.A top party functionary said that the Congress is for major changes within the party in Jammu and Kashmir. “After the poll debacle was witnessed in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the party high command has zeroed in on several names, which will either be ousted from the party or their responsibilities will be taken away.
All in all a complete reshuffle is on cards,” he said.Sources said that Congress die-hard leaders have agreed that the internal difference in the party has grown to an irreversible level and if at all the poll results of forthcoming Assembly elections are not what the Congress expects then the in fight is the only reason for the failure.Another senior Congress leader wished anonymity said that a delegation of senior leaders would meet high command in the next week and express their point of view to strengthen the party organization ahead of Assembly polls.