RIYAZ UL KHALIQ
SRINAGAR
By the end of February 2015, state unit of Congress and National Conference will be missing from Parliament for the first time since 1947. It includes Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress’s opposition leader in Rajya Sabha.
Former Health Minister in UPA-IInd and Congress veteran Gh Nabi Azad, Congress state chief Prof Saif-Ud-Din Soz, former broadcaster and NC foot-in-mouth MP from South Kashmir, Gh Nabi Ratanpuri and NC MP from North Kashmir, Muhammad Shafi Uri are the four Members of Parliament who are retiring in February 2015.
This year, Jammu and Kashmir voted six candidates to parliament three each from PDP and BJP. As the four last time-nominated MPs shall demit their offices in coming February, the next nominations shall take place once new dispensation is formed.
Among the four MPS, only two, belonging to National Conference fought in recently concluded Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Elections. But only Uri’s Muhammad Shafi could sustain in active politics by defeating Congress man Taj Mohi-Ud-Din and cop-turned-politician PDP’s Raja Ajaz Ali.
In the last session of Parliament that concluded recently, Rajya Sabha bade farewell to the retiring four MPs.
“The members, who are retiring, have made rich contributions in the deliberations of the House and I wish to place on record my personal appreciation for the courtesy, consideration and cooperation extended to the Chair (by the retiring members),” Chairman Hamid Ansari had said.
