DOGRA HERALD BUREAU
JAMMU, June 12
Dissatisfaction within the ranks of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), Jammu and Kashmir, is mounting against its chief, Vikar Rasool. Several senior party leaders have penned letters to the party high command, questioning Rasool’s leadership and demanding his replacement as the PCC head.
The discontent comes in the wake of the party’s recent defeat in both Parliamentary seats under Rasool’s leadership. During the election campaign, many party leaders openly criticized Rasool, blaming his approach for the poor electoral performance.
The letters have been addressed to Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, Working Committee member Tariq Hameed Karra, and other leaders. The majority of these letters have come from senior leaders in the Kashmir division, including former Sopore MLA and senior party leader Haji Rashid, eight General Secretaries, and two Vice Presidents. They have accused Rasool of sidelining party leaders during the campaign and failing to conduct any meetings related to election strategies.
In his letter, Haji Rashid, a senior vice president of the party, highlighted that senior leaders were ignored during the campaign, and no strategy meetings were convened. Overall, the letters cast doubt on Rasool’s working methods. Sources indicate that while most of the dissenting voices are from Kashmir, there are also some leaders from Jammu who share the concerns but have not come forward publicly.
Responding to these allegations, Vikar Rasool dismissed them as baseless, stating that since the party did not contest elections in Kashmir, the question of ignoring leaders does not arise. He mentioned that he has already provided answers to all these issues to the National President.
Rasool also claimed that the dissenting leaders were working against the Party’s coalition ally, the National Conference.
Vikar Rasool was appointed as the PCC chief in August 2022. Following the election results, Rasool noted that despite not receiving any financial support for the campaign, the party still fought vigorously.
This internal conflict poses a significant challenge for the Congress in Jammu & Kashmir, highlighting a crucial need for the party to address leadership and strategic issues to restore unity and improve future electoral prospects.
