After Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Ghulam Ahmed Mir resigned from his post, a massive infighting is brewing within the party for the coveted post. In exclusive information available to Frontline, Rajini Patil, Congress general secretary in-charge of Jammu & Kashmir, has finalised Vikar Rasool Wani as Mir’s successor.
Vikar Rasool Wani is a Ghulam Nabi Azad loyalist and the move is seen as the Congress high command’s way of assuaging Azad, who has been helming the disgruntled G23 faction of the party. Azad’s Rajya Sabha membership was not renewed and he was also not accommodated in the All India Congress Committee. But, by elevating his loyalist, the high command wants to keep him in good humour.
However, as soon as Wani’s name did the rounds within the party, letters of resentment started pouring into Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi’s offices from other members of the Azad camp, forcing the party to withhold any immediate announcement. The other three names that were shortlisted by Rajini Patil were Prerzada Syed, Tariq Hameed Karra, and Ghulam Mohammad Saroori.
According to insiders in Jammu & Kashmir Congress, the present scenario suits Ghulam Ahmed Mir, since if Azad is unable to restrain his camp and get them to approve Wani’s all-but-announced elevation as Jammu & Kashmir Congress president, Sonia Gandhi may ask Ghulam Ahmed Mir to continue until the next Assembly elections in the erstwhile State, which may take place in November-December this year.
However, Frontline has learnt that Azad has been successful in silencing dissenters and that Vikar Rasool Wani will follow Mir as the new president of Jammu & Kashmir Congress.