KL Report

Jammu

In a major embarrassment for the ruling Congress in Jammu and Kashmir, one of the its sitting MLCs has filed nomination against the party’s official candidates for elections to the state legislative council.

Though the candidature of dissident Mohammad Amin Bhat was rejected during scrutiny of nomination papers, the sitting Congress MLC’s decision to go ahead without the party’s approval is suggestive of deep fissures in the party ranks.
“The nomination of Bhat has been rejected during the scrutiny of his nomination papers today for MLC elections,” Secretary J&K Legislative Assembly Mohmmad Ramzan told reporters.

Tensions have reportedly been brewing between rival camps in the state Congress owing loyalty to Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and state Congress chief Saif-Uddin-Soz after the January 15, cabinet reshuffle which removed senior leaders from office and replaced them with junior members.

Amin, a Congress leader from South Kashmir, is linked to the Congress faction loyal to Azad.

“We do not know on whose behalf he filed the nomination. The party will look into the matter. He has already served as MLC for six years”, state Congress spokesman Ravinder Sharma said when asked about the trouble brewing for the party.
Sharma, however, played down Bhat’s move to file nominations saying, “they were not valid papers , not signed by the required number of MLAs. It was not authorised by the party so it cannot be a rebellion”.

Amin’s term along with seven other MLCs from the J&K Legislative Council ends on March 16.

Though the candidature of dissident Mohammad Amin Bhat was rejected during scrutiny of nomination papers, the sitting Congress MLC’s decision to go ahead without the party’s approval is suggestive of deep fissures in the party ranks.

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