In an exclusive interview with Rising Kashmir’s Special correspondent Abid Bashir, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Ghulam Ahmed Mir discussed a range of political issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir. Mir, who is also the MLA for Dooru (Anantnag), expressed his views on the ongoing political developments, the National Conference-Congress alliance, and the restoration of statehood. Excerpts:
National Conference-Congress contested Assembly polls with the aim of forming a government. What went wrong?
We contested on a pre-poll alliance. The NC had the soft areas where the BJP was weak, while Congress was allocated the more challenging areas where the BJP was strong. In the regions where we expected to win around 22 seats, we couldn’t secure more than six. NC won 41, and with the support of independents, they crossed the 51-seat mark to form the government.
Was there any discussion about the ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ areas before entering into the pre-poll alliance?
Mir: Yes, every seat was discussed when fielding candidates. Congress got a larger quota in Jammu, but there were also seats where both Congress and NC had a strong base. We’re not claiming that NC was biased while sharing seats, though there were a few disagreements. Overall, there was unanimous consensus on the majority of the seats contested.
The battle was very tough, which led to the fall of Congress in J&K. Were there any miscalculations?
Let me be clear. In Jammu, we lost there, but the average margin was only about 12,000 votes. There was a visible mood of change in Jammu during the election campaign. The people there had realised that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi couldn’t secure a majority as expected—he had hoped for 400, but ended up with just 240. We lacked effective management, while BJP ran a more organised campaign. Overconfidence among our candidates led to Congress’ poor performance in Jammu. They believed the mood was in Congress’ favor, but that turned out to be an illusion.
When are you planning to join Omar’s cabinet?
Mir: It’s not a state cabinet; it’s a UT cabinet. Our high command was informed by the coalition partner to nominate one minister for the UT cabinet. At that time, we decided to focus on the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah didn’t fill the full quota of ministers either. Moreover, we wanted the election to revolve around the restoration of Statehood. So, we are waiting for the statehood restoration, as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the floor of the House.
What if the Centre doesn’t restore Statehood for the next five years? Will you stay away from the government?
The question is, if the Centre doesn’t restore Statehood in the next five years, then the credibility of both Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah will be at stake. Will their words mean nothing? Our decision to join the government depends on how the political situation in J&K shapes up. If tomorrow, there’s a scenario where CM Omar feels Congress’ participation in the government is crucial, we will decide accordingly.
Where do you see the NC-Congress alliance now?
Mir: The alliance is very much intact. For us, the primary focus is on the restoration of Statehood. Omar Abdullah, as the leader of the coalition, is free to convene an all-party meeting or a joint delegation to meet with the Prime Minister or Home Minister. We are ready to offer him our full support in such efforts.
Has there been any joint meeting of the NC-Congress coalition since the government formation?
Mir: Yes, there was a Common Minimum Program (CMP) agreed upon by the NC-Congress coalition, which was decided in a meeting during the first Assembly session held in Srinagar. I am confident that another meeting will take place soon, as the budget session is set to begin on March 3.
How do you see CM Omar’s meetings with the Home Minister in terms of Statehood restoration?
Mir: Statehood restoration will require amending the Reorganization Act. The key question remains: What will the nature of the Statehood be? As for Omar’s back-to-back meetings with the Home Minister, I’m sure there must have been some word of assurance from him. There must be a reason behind Omar’s persistent silence after those meetings. Moreover, his praises for the weather while inaugurating the Z-Morh (Sonamarg) tunnel in front of the Prime Minister didn’t come out of the blue. Whatever has been conveyed to Omar will surely be discussed with us before the upcoming pre-budget NC-Congress coalition meeting.
Will Congress bring any specific resolution in the upcoming budget session?
Mir: As an MLA, I will raise issues related to roads, power, and other infrastructure. Many projects that were started in 2014 are still pending. Had there been a government in place, we would have taken a more structured approach. We aim to pick up from where things were left off. Public issues will be my priority in the budget session.
