Jammu, Nov 17 (UNI) In a major jolt to the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress party, many senior leaders including the former ministers, have submitted their resignations from the prominent party positions to the AICC president Sonia Gandhi.
Sources in the Congress party on Wednesday said that the political development came ahead amid speculations that Assembly elections in Jammu Kashmir Union Territory may soon be announced.
The Congress leaders having allegiance to former Chief Minister and veteran stalwart Ghulam Nabi Azad have resigned from respective party positions expressing resentment over incumbent JKPCC president Ghulam Ahmed Mir in protest against not providing them opportunity of their involvement in the party affairs.
Those who have resigned, including the senior Congress leaders from Jammu as well as from Kashmir valley, former Ministers and Legislators, have submitted joint resignation from all posts to the AICC President Sonia Gandhi, sources said.
Sources said that the resignation has also been forwarded to AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi as well as Rajni Patil, AICC Incharge Secretary for J&K.
Prominent among those, who have submitted the resignation, included G M Saroori, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Waqar Rasool, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Monga, Naresh Gupta, Subash Gupta, Amin Bhat, Anwar Bhat and Inayat Ali.
"All these are loyalists to Ghulam Nabi Azad," sources said, adding that barring former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, almost all senior functionaries have submitted their resignations from the party positions.
"In the resignation letter, the leaders have alleged that under the presidentship of G A Mir, Congress is heading towards disastrous situation and more than 200 top Congress leaders, including former Minister, MLAs, MLCs, PCC office bearers, District Presidents and AICC Members have resigned from the party till date and have joined other parties," they alleged.
"Elections can be announced any time and in such a situation, it will almost be impossible for the Congress party to make a comeback in the J&K political arena," they said adding that the leaders also claimed that they have been requesting the Congress high command since long demanding change of guard for the presidential post but no heed was paid.
"The request was also submitted to the AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi during his Jammu visit last month but despite that, the submission was not considered on a serious note thus prompting these senior leaders to tender resignation from the prime posts," Congress party sources said.
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