Congress infighting in J&K explodes, leader warns top brass against taking back turncoats

The inner cracks in the Jammu and Kashmir Congress came to the fore as former Congress minister Yogesh Sawhney urged the party president Mallikarjun Kharge to not entertain party workers who showed their back and then returned to the party fold over workers who have remained loyal to the party over the years. Notably, two senior Congress leaders who left Congress and returned were present on stage when Sawhney made the statement. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal had re-inducted them into the party in January 2023.

"The party will always remain to be the priority for us irrespective of the post given to the party worker," said Yogesh Sawhney who is also the former Jammu president. "Party is supreme for us, no matter if we get post or not. We shouldn’t forget contribution of loyalists President Sir, don’t give importance to those who came to party few days ago over those who have been in party for 40 years,” and then cited his example and added, “I am example, I didn’t get mandate for 02 times but i never left party. There are people here who left the party for benefit and then returned when got the opportunity (sic),” he said.   

Expelled from DAP, J&K former CM back in Congress 

It's pertinent to mention former Jammu and Kashmir CM Tara Chand parted ways and joined the Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Azad Party (DAP). However, only four months into joining the party he was suspended from DAP. Tara Chand subsequently was reinducted into the grand old party in January 2023 by Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal. As many as 17 leaders from the DAP also joined Congress. 

In a show of support for the veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, these leaders had left the Congress fold. “The Congress party gave a ticket to a poor man like me, made him an MLA, made him a CLP leader. We made a mistake out of emotion, it caused loss to the party. We are back in the Congress Party,” said Tarachand, Former Deputy Chief Minister, Jammu & Kashmir after joining the Congress on January 6, 2023. 

मुझ जैसे गरीब आदमी को कांग्रेस पार्टी ने टिकट दी, विधायक बनाया, CLP लीडर बनाया।

हमसे जज्बात में आकर गलती हुई, इससे पार्टी का नुकसान हुआ। हम कांग्रेस पार्टी में वापस आए हैं: श्री ताराचंद, पूर्व उप-मुख्यमंत्री, जम्मू&कश्मीर pic.twitter.com/FIovaaLAGv

— Congress (@INCIndia)