J&K Cong forms panel to assess poor performance in Assembly elections

The Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Friday constituted a high-powered fact-finding committee to ascertain the reasons behind its poor performance in the recent Assembly elections in the Union Territory. Congress had managed to grab just six seats — five in the Valley and a lone seat in the Jammu division.

“The J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra, in consultation with All India Congress Committee leadership, constituted the fact-finding committee to ascertain the reasons behind the defeat of the party in the recent Assembly elections in Jammu region and to suggest measures for strengthening the party,” an official statement by party read.

The Committee is expected to give a report within 30 days.

Senior party leader and chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma has been appointed as chairman of the committee while Jehangir Mir, Naresh Gupta, Thakur Balwan Singh, Shah Mohammad Chowdhary, Ved Mahajan and Dina Nath Baghat are its members.

It is believed that infighting at some places and alleged wrong ticket allocation were some of the reasons behind the defeat of the party. Also, with Congress shying away from responding on the issue of Article 370 while its alliance partner—National Conference—openly supporting it at the time of elections is believed to be another reason behind party’s defeat in Muslim majority areas of Jammu region.

Also, to look into the various complaints of indiscipline, the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee on Friday reconstituted the interim disciplinary action committee with immediate effect with senior Congress leader Mula Ram Baghat as its chairman. “The members of the committee include TS Bajwa, Thakur Balbir Singh, Surinder Singh Channi, Shahnawaz Chowdhary, Fayaz Ahmad Mir and Audil Farooq Mir,” the statement read.