On Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary, faction-ridden J&K Cong presents a united face [details]

Amid reports that the high command is going to give very important responsibility to the 'dissident' leader Ghulam Nabi Azad in the next assembly elections in the Union Territory (UT), the faction-ridden J&K Congress on Saturday presented a united face to observe the 31st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

First-time during the last two-year former leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad today shared the dais with the incumbent president of J&K Congress Ghulam Ahmad Mir, and working president Raman Bhalla.

Azad reached Jammu on a two-day visit and presided over a function at the party headquarters to pay tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary. He is scheduled to go to Srinagar on Sunday. 

Leaders of both the warring factions of the J&K Congress attended today's function to give a message of unity to the workers of the party. The first time after the appointment of Mir as president of the J&K Congress, loyalists of Ghulam Nabi Azad attended any official function of the party.
As per reports, the Congress high command has decided to take Ghulam Nabi Azad into confidence to end factionalism in the party.

"High command has realized that despite encouraging factionalism in the party, only Ghulam Nabi Azad can rejuvenate the party in coming assembly elections", a senior Congress leader told The International Business Times, adding, "Central leadership has assured to accommodate loyalists of Azad on important positions in the party".

Azad rejects the final draft of Delimitation Commission

Rejecting the final draft of the Delimitation Commission, Azad said that report was prepared just to give benefit a political party. He said that all Congress leaders have made it clear that they are not satisfied with the report which contradicts the ground realities.

Without naming BJP, Azad said. "Draft report of Delimitation Commission is a tailor-made report and prepared in such a way to benefit some and cause loss to whom they intend to".

On May 5, the Delimitation Commission submitted its final report which will form the basis for future assembly polls in the Union territory. The panel has given six additional assembly seats to the Jammu region and one to Kashmir Valley and brought areas of Rajouri and Poonch under the Anantnag parliamentary seat. Jammu division will now have 43 assembly seats and Kashmir 47 in the 90-member house.

Tourists' influx is not an indication of improvement in the security scenario

Azad argued that the influx of tourists in J&K is due to the rising temperature in the rest of the country and not because of any improved situation in the Union territory.
"The government should not be happy over the increase in tourist arrivals in Kashmir and link it with improvement in the situation," he argued.

"I give full credit for the tourism boom to the almighty as the rising temperatures in Delhi and the rest of the country prompted people to look for cooler environs in Kashmir, Shimla, and elsewhere," he told reporters.