Congress cadre base in J&K is dwindling

Congress faces challenges expanding in Jammu and Kashmir after a poor election performance and limited grassroots leadership.

New Delhi: After the National Conference secured 42 out of 90 Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir, forming an alliance with the Congress party, which managed only six seats, the grand old party faces a significant challenge in expanding its influence in the Union Territory. This is due to its low seat count and a shortage of leaders skilled in grassroots organisational management.
A senior Congress leader said, “The cadre can only strengthen further when the people who want to join Congress see prospects of their growth within the organisation. Moreover, they also get attracted to the power centres in the form of legislators. One legislator becomes a power centre in the state and therefore, people start joining him and strengthen the organisational force in the Assembly segment. Now, the party has only six such power centres and the Assembly segments are reigned by National Conference who would never let the Congress enter their territory.”
Moreover, Congress is lacking in its leadership in Jammu division as well, where there is no firebrand leader who can mobilise workers as well as the electorate beyond their own cities. After the exit of Ghulam Nabi Azad from Congress, who had his hold in Chenab Valley, which consists of eight Assembly segments, Congress party was left with almost nothing, according to party insiders.
A Congress leader said, “If there is a listing of the state units of the Congress with the most eroded cadres in the last few years, the Jammu and Kashmir cadre would top the list. Moreover, the earlier state unit president of Jammu and Kashmir did not have much understanding of the politics which led to the swaying of Congress leaders in the region. Now, Congress does have a serious president, Tariq Hamid Karra, but his role will also get reduced by NC’s outsized presence in the Valley and BJP’s substantial representation of Jammu. Karra assumes more authority in the cadre due to his clean history but the point is, would the NC let him function at his will since the regional party is in alliance with Congress. Congress has more scope in Jammu for fighting the BJP than it has in the Valley. But due to the lack of able leaders in Jammu, Congress may not be able to establish its ground too soon.”
According to a political analyst, “Congress gave up on its expansion the moment they entered the alliance. Moreover, whenever NC feels that Congress is trying to expand in the Valley, they will try to elbow them out. In addition to that, the NC’s cadre is solidly placed in every constituency in the Valley and they will always keep a check on the functioning of Congress.”