J&K polls are about restoring lost dignity: Karra

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra on Sunday said the assembly polls are not just about forming a government or adjusting leaders in the dispensation but about “restoration of statehood and powers of the assembly” as well as “our lost dignity”. Karra was also non-committal on whether the chief minister would be from the National Conference (NC) in case the Congress-NC alliance wins the polls, saying “we can’t forecast things that have to follow after the elections”.

In an interview with PTI, Karra exuded confidence that the Congress-NC combine would form the government crossing the magic mark in the 90-member assembly and the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP would not be able to hamper their chances much. The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief also asserted that the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) is a “closed case” and “doesn’t have a future”.

“I have been on record to say that as far as DPAP is concerned, it is a closed case now. Whatever they had been doing was to cause fragmentation which they failed in. So I don’t think they have any future anymore,” he said. Asked that with NC being the senior partner in the alliance, was it a foregone conclusion that the chief minister will be from that party, Karra said, “We have an understanding as far as going into elections is concerned. We have a seat arrangement which we call a pre-poll alliance but the result would speak for itself that what would follow. We can’t forecast about things which have to follow after the elections.” On whether he was in the chief ministership, Karra said, “You can’t say it now.”

The NC and the Congress have agreed on a seat-sharing arrangement for the 90 assembly seats, with the National Conference set to contest 51 of them and the Congress 32. They are having a friendly fight on a few seats. On the Centre significantly strengthening the authority of the lieutenant governor in Jammu and Kashmir, Karra claimed that the BJP realised that it would not be forming the government and some other combination would be doing so and therefore, before handing over the power to the next government, they thought it is better to curtail powers.

“This is a politically motivated attempt,” the J-K Congress chief told PTI over phone. He asserted that while restoration of statehood is the paramount concern, as far as the curtailment of powers of the government is concerned, “we shall have to get it reviewed and the assembly will also decide about it”.