Asif Iqbal Naik
Kishtwar, Oct 21: Factionalism within the Congress party’s Kishtwar unit intensified today as the majority of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) District unit boycotted a crucial party meeting held at the residence of former Minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori.
The meeting was convened as part of the party’s campaign against alleged “Vote Choori” (vote theft/rigging) and was attended by a majority of senior Congress leaders from the District.
IYC Aligns with Absent DCC President
The IYC unit’s decision to skip the event was publicly clarified by Azhar Beigh, Working President of IYC Kishtwar in his social media post. The core reason for the protest was the absence of the sitting District Congress Committee (DCC) President, Advocate Asif Naqeeb.
In a statement, Beigh asserted: “The entire Kishtwar District unit… follows the leadership and direction of our DCC President. However, since the DCC President, himself was not present at the meeting, we felt it appropriate to align with his position and therefore did not attend.”
The IYC’s pointed absence, even with the majority of senior functionaries present at Saroori’s residence, demonstrates a clear structural challenge to the veteran leader’s authority, framing their protest as loyalty to the DCC President and organizational protocol.
Wider Alliance Strain: NC Snub and Bypoll Withdrawal Deepen Congress’s Woes
This public display of internal division comes amidst heightened tensions between the Congress and its key Jammu and Kashmir ally, the National Conference (NC). The Congress recently felt snubbed by the NC after being denied a “safe” Rajya Sabha seat among the 4 Rajya Sabha seats now going for elections on Oct 24.
The NC offered the Congress an “unsafe” fourth seat, which the grand old party declined, viewing the move as a betrayal of alliance principles.
Further complicating the alliance, the Congress ultimately chose not to contest the recent Assembly bypolls in the Nagrota and Budgam seats. While the NC went ahead to contest both, the Congress defended its decision to stay away from the Nagrota bypoll as a move to unify the anti-BJP vote and uphold the “larger goal” of the alliance, despite earlier expressing a strong desire to contest the seat. These recent events at the state level underscore the organizational strains and lack of internal cohesion currently plaguing the Congress, mirroring the public display of factionalism seen in Kishtwar.
