Cong plans to rope in sulking PDP leaders to its fold
Jammu Tawi, February 26
Enthused over Tariq Hamid Karra joining its ranks, the Congress leadership is all prepared to utilise his services to rope in annoyed leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
As Karra is one of the founder members of the PDP, the Congress leadership is hopeful that his experience would be utilised to make inroads into new areas.
Karra, who joined the Congress at New Delhi in the presence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi on February 18, will for the first time attend a party meeting in Jammu on Monday. The Pradesh Congress Committee has convened a special meeting to introduce Tariq Hamid Karra before party leaders.
According to an official communiqué, a meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) will be held at the party headquarters on Monday at 2.30 pm. The meeting will be presided over by JKPCC chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir and attended by Tariq Hamid Karra.
Spokesman of the PCC, Ravinder Sharma said Karra's joining of the party was a big achievement for the Congress because he was a mass leader who had won the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Srinagar Parliamentary constituency. He said the joining of Karra was an indication that the Congress was the only party which had a base in all the three regions of the state.
Jammu & Kashmir PCC general secretary and Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sangathan convener Shahnawaz Choudhary has warned to launch an agitation against the PDP-BJP coalition government for “weakening” the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
Addressing a press conference, Choudhary said conducting indirect elections and centralising panchayats would lead to the “weakening” of the institution.
“Instead of strengthening the institution, the government has disturbed the basic of democracy. The previous government had tried to strengthen the PRIs in the state by passing the Bill in the Assembly as per the provisions of the 73rd Amendment. But instead of implementing it, the present government has further diluted the old structure,” alleged Choudhary.
