Congress won’t pull down Omar Abdullah government

NEW DELHI: A day after Congress leaders of Jammu and Kashmir asked its high command to pull down the Omar Abdullah government, AICC has ruled out any such plan in the sensitive border state.

Instead, the Congress leadership has decided to ask the chief minister to implement all manifesto promises before the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

The demand for pulling down the Abdullah government came a day after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah boycotted the Congress-NC coordination committee meeting.

State Congress leaders too boycotted a meeting the chief minister had called to decide on the state human rights panel head. After that PCC leaders faxed a memorandum to AICC, asking that the party pullout of the government and withdraw support to the government. The state party leaders said they could not take any more "insults from NC".

AICC general secretary Ambika Soni on Tuesday contacted the state Congress leaders and told them that the party must concentrate on forcing the Omar regime to implement all manifesto promises before the state polls. Soni also assured them that she will also contact the chief minister and convey the sentiments of the state Congress leaders.

Ruling out any plan to formally withdraw support or withdraw Congress ministers from the state cabinet, Soni told ET, "Congress-NC coalition was set up with a goal of providing J&K a stable government and the people of the state good governance. It is unfortunate that trivial complications are being allowed to come up by not holding the coordination committee meetings. It is very important for Congress to ensure that that the state government implements all manifesto promises it had made before elections."

Though the Congress and National Conference virtually ended their alliance in the state last month, with both sides announcing that they would have no alliance in the assembly elections, the Congress deliberately did not withdraw support to the government so that it did not lead to a potential fall of the minority government. Congress has been saying while it was not possible for it to extend the alliance with NC, it was not ready to bring down the government in the sensitive state just ahead of polls.

The CM too conveniently ignored Congress ministers continuing in his Cabinet despite both parties deciding to go separate ways during the assembly polls.