Archives

New Delhi, Wednesday (AFP) Sonia Gandhi's Congress party announced it would try and end two weeks of political squabbling in Indian Kashmir and put together a provincial administration in the disputed Himalayan territory.

But the Congress, India's oldest political entity, declined to specify the formula with which it can offer a state government in Kashmir, saying only its Italian-born supremo, Sonia Gandhi, would soon unveil a strategy.

"A decision has been taken. It will be announced by the party president," said senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh, the architect of India's 1991 market reforms, who recently visited Srinagar, the hub of regional political activity.

Singh, however, said the formula, cobbled at a meeting at the party centre here, could be made public only if Gandhi so desired.

"All matters (staking claim t form a government) have been left to Gandhi and she would be announcing her decision shortly," he added.

"All issues relating to government-formation in Kashmir were discussed threadbare," Singh said after the session of the Congress leadership meeting.

"What we read in this announcement is that the Congress is going to now exercise its option of horse-trading -- buying off legislators from other groupings in Kashmir to set up a government," said analyst Anand Ojha.

"The Pandora's Box of political poaching could now begin in case the Congress fails to offer its own coalition as a legislative majority in Kashmir," Ojha, a prominent Delhi University political scientist, warned.

The Congress and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) together booted out Kashmir's dynastic National Conference in the polls that ended October 8, but have since been squabbling over who will head a coalition government. 

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager