Jammu and Kashmir Congress President Tariq Hameed Karra.
Credit: X/@namrtasharma100
Srinagar: Following a crushing defeat in the recent assembly polls, the Congress is facing internal crisis, with longstanding members openly rebelling against the leadership of Tariq Hameed Karra, appointed as the Jammu and Kashmir Congress President just weeks before the elections.
The BJP's sweeping victory in Jammu, where Congress was virtually wiped out from the political landscape, has intensified scrutiny of Karra's leadership. He replaced veteran party loyalist Vikar Rasool Wani on August 17.
The elections, conducted in three phases from September 18 to October 1, saw Congress contesting 30 of Jammu’s 43 seats but managing to win only the Rajouri (ST-reserved) seat, where its candidate won by a mere 1,404 votes, marking the party’s worst-ever performance in the region.
Initially, Congress was perceived to have an advantage in Jammu due to widespread anti-incumbency sentiments against the BJP. However, the party struggled to convert this momentum into votes, largely due to a lackluster campaign compared to the BJP’s vigorous efforts.
The Congress leaders who lost in Jammu included two of its working presidents, a former state president and several ministers.
Now old Congress loyalists are now demanding immediate removal of Karra, asserting that his short tenure failed to unite the party and effectively challenge the BJP.
They are calling for the appointment of a new president with a deep-rooted connection to traditional Congress values and history, arguing that the party needs to reconnect with its base to regain trust and support among voters.
Last week, 22 Congress leaders led by senior vice-president G N Monga in a meeting in Srinagar passed a resolution and urged the party high command to remove Karra.
They alleged that Karra, who joined Congress in 2016 after resigning from People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has turned the Congress into a proxy of PDP ideology.
The resolution also alleged that Karra indulged in misappropriation of funds allocated for the polls and there was lack of transparency in expenditure reporting.
The meeting was held in the backdrop of Karra constituting a high- powered committee to ascertain reasons behind the party’s defeat in the Assembly elections, particularly its wipeout in the Jammu province.
The committee, headed by senior party leader Ravinder Sharma as chairman, is expected to give its report within 30 days.
However, Monga rejected the legitimacy of this committee, stating, “According to the constitution of the Congress, a state president cannot constitute a fact-finding committee. That responsibility lies with the Central Congress leadership.”
The rift has exposed deep-seated divisions within the party, with factions forming around differing visions for the future of Congress in the region.