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Online Edition
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COVER FEB 28th 2009
REGULARBACK COVER
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EDITORIALRANBIR MANHAS Coalition in Kashmir How sincere are the Partners? Though the NC-Cong coalition government has completed one month of its hassle free journey in Jammu and Kashmir there is still a question lurking in public mind as to how long this marriage of convenience will last! The leaders of both the parties may claim that the sailing so far has been smooth, but the fact of the matter is that all is not well within the coalition. The NC leadership may derive pleasure by thinking that it has won the Chief Minister ship without sharing the all important post with its coalition partner, but in other rounds NC seems losing several points. For example NC has 27 MLAs in the state Assembly as compared to 17 of Congress. In this backdrop, the share of NC in the Cabinet of 25 Ministers should have been 15, but under the terms of the agreement drawn between the two parties NC will have to remain contended with just 12 Ministers. Accordingly, in the first instance NC and Congress have nominated 5 Ministers each and similar pattern is supposed to be followed in the Cabinet expansions to take place from time to time. Also, the share of NC and Congress in Rajya Sabha from the State should have been 3:1 in light of the number of MLAs of the two parties, but here also Congress seems to have outsmarted the National Conference. Not only that these (4) seats have been divided on 2:2 basis, Congress has managed to capture the two safe seats without going for a contest leaving its partner to win the alloted seats through ballot. NC may succeed in winning both the seats of its share in light of the divided Opposition, but till that time its leadership will have to spend sleepless nights while Congress would be busy enjoying ball. In the PDP-Congress coalition whereas it was the PDP that called shots in the distribution of portfolios, in the present arrangement it is the NC that seems losing points on this account as well. In the first instance Congress has secured important departments for its Ministers and understandably, in future also NC may find itself compelled to eat the humble pie. If the present pattern of power sharing continues NC would be conceding many seats for its coalition partner in the Lok Sabha elections as well leaving the space open for rival PDP to spread its area of influence at former’s expense. Congress has also succeeded in sowing seeds of mistrust in Abdullah family by preferring son (Omar) on father (Farooq) as the Chief Minister having put a precondition before accepting the accord. Reports from within NC suggest that despite heading the government the NC leadership has been feeling uncomfortable with Congress for its ever demanding attitude, which may consequently push NC to the wall where sharing the bed with Congress could become difficult. Congress has already extracted unreasonable price from National Conference, which is unbecoming of a sincere partner. But the track record of NC is not better, too. First it ditched Congress and joined NDA and now it has returned to Congress by ditching NDA. It seems being chips of the same block both NC and Congress are trying to extract maximum price from each other before their wedding breaks down, which is the ultimate end of insincere relationship. |
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