Post-Independence history of J&K incomplete without Congress

Sumit Hakhoo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 6

The emergence of the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir began when the then Madras (now Tamil Nadu) Chief Minister, Kumarasami Kamaraj, implemented the Kamraj plan in the Congress-ruled states. He told leaders to resign from their posts to devote time to organisational work.

After NC founder Sheikh Abdullah was ousted and jailed in connection with the Kashmir conspiracy case, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad headed a proxy Congress government in the state. Under the Kamraj plan, Bakshi resigned and Khawaja Shams-ud-Din took over.

Shams-ud-Din was removed in 1964 and GM Sadiq became the Prime Minister after most NC leaders loyal to Bakshi quit and joined the Congress. In 1965, Sadiq announced the formation of the Congress.

A small group of Sheikh supporters formed the Plebiscite Front and did not participate in any election till the Indira-Sheikh Accord. The Constitution of the state was amended to replace the designations of Sadr-e-Riyasat and Prime Minister with those of Governor and Chief Minister, respectively.

In the 1967 Assembly elections, the Sadiq-led Congress got a majority by winning 61 seats. The Bharatiya Jan Sangh won three seats while eight were won by the Bakshi-led NC and three by Independents. Sadiq died on December 12, 1971. Syed Mir Qasim became the Chief Minister.

In the 1972 Assembly polls, the Qasim-led Congress won 58 seats. Qasim was the Chief Minister till February 25, 1975. He stepped down after the Indira-Sheikh Accord and Sheikh became Chief Minister. In the Assembly elections, the NC won 44 seats, the Congress 11 and the Janta Party 13.

In the Assembly elections held in 1983, the Congress secured 26 seats. It later toppled the NC government of Farooq Abdullah, paving way for his brother-in-law Ghulam Mohammad Shah as Chief Minister of the state.

President’s rule was imposed in J&K after the Congress toppled Shah’s government in 1986. In the controversial Assembly elections held in 1987, the Congress secured 26 seats. The NC government led by Farooq Abdullah again became the Chief Minister till January 19, 1990, when he resigned following appointment of Jagmohan as the Governor of the state after the eruption of militancy.

In 1996 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress won four seats and subsequently in the 1996 Assembly elections held amid threats from militants, the Congress won seven seats. In 2002, the party secured 21 seats forming a coalition government with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, the PDP withdrew support to the Azad government following the Amarnath land row.

In 2008, the Congress won 17 seats and again formed a coalition government with the National Conference (NC) headed by Omar Abdullah.

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Significant events

1963: Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad resigned under the ‘Kamraj plan’ and Shams-ud-Din took over as the Prime Minster

January 1965: The then J&K Prime Minister, Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq, announced the formation of the Congress in the state

June 1965: Formal merger of the NC with Congress

March 1967: Assembly elections held, Congress secured 61 seats followed by the NC (Bakshi) with eight seats

February 1972: Assembly elections held, Congress secured 58 seats

March 1977: Congress withdrew support to the Sheikh Abdullah government

July 1977: Assembly elections held, Congress secured 11 seats

June 1983: Congress won 26 seats in Assembly polls

March 1987: State Assembly elections held, Congress with 26 seats forms coalition government with NC

September 1996: Congress won 7 seats in Assembly polls

December 2002: Congress secured 21 seats in Assembly, forms coalition government with PDP

December 2008: The party secured 17 seats, forms government with NC