Sonia Gandhi names Ghulam Nabi Azad head of campaign in J&K, he declines

New Delhi, August 16

In fresh friction with the Congress today, Ghulam Nabi Azad declined to accept the position of Jammu and Kashmir campaign committee chief to which party president Sonia Gandhi appointed him tonight. Moments after Congress chief Sonia Gandhi appointed Azad as the campaign panel head in a reconstituted J&K Congress unit with Vikar Rasool Wani as state chief and Raman Bhalla as working president, Azad declined the role.

It is learnt that the reconstitution is not as per Azad’s expectations and suggestions. Sources said Azad was miffed at the overhaul even though a section of Congress leaders said Wani was close to Azad.

In the new committee, Sonia Gandhi named Tariq Hameed Karra as vice-chairman of the campaign committee with Azad as the chief.

Karra was named chairman of the political affairs committee of the J&K Congress with Azad as the vice-chief in the panel. Former J&K Congress chief Saifuddin Soz has been named as chairman of the manifesto committee and former state president GA Mir as the coordination committee president.